A coalition of Government, industry and charities launched the first UK internet safety strategy, to help children and young people stay safe online. 

UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) was set up in September 2008 to implement the recommendations from Professor Tanya Byron’s review ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’. It is made up of over 140 organisations, including Google, Microsoft, Bebo the NSPCC and CEOP. 

The first ever internet safety strategy, ‘Click Clever Click Safe’ , was drawn up by UKCCIS and will be launched by the Prime Minister at the first UKCCIS Summit. 

Young people now have much greater online access than ever before, with research showing that 99 per cent of 8-17 year olds have access to the web. New research published also shows that 18 per cent of young people said they had come across harmful or inappropriate content online, with 33 per cent of children said their parents don’t really know what they do on the internet.

This strategy will outline how government, industry and charities are working together to keep children and young people safe online and implement the recommendations from Professor Tanya Byron’s review ’Safer Children in a Digital World’.  

The strategy will mean:

• that for the first time ever, internet companies, charities and the Government will be independently reviewed against new UKCCIS standards to keep children and young people safe online
• young people and parents will be targeted by a new Digital Code ‘Zip it, Block it, Flag it’ - the ‘Green Cross Code’ for internet safety. This will be adopted by retailers, social networking sites, schools and charities and displayed where appropriate
• parents will be able to access a one-stop shop website for internet safety advice hosted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP)
• from September 2011 online safety will be a compulsory part of the curriculum from age 5; and
• Professor Tanya Byron will review the Council’s progress, beginning in January 2010

This new strategy builds on the significant progress already made by the Government to implement the Byron review and provide parents and young people with the information, advice and guidance they need to ensure they can enjoy the internet safely.   

The Government also announced today that:

• all 270,000 computers to be provided under the Government’s Home Access scheme will incorporate the CEOP Advice, Help, Report button, to help children and their families quickly report inappropriate content or internet approaches from strangers  as well as get help and advice on issues such as cyberbullying, viruses and hacking.
• Government will lead the way globally, by exploring how child internet safety can be improved through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Speaking ahead of the launch, Children’s  Secretary Ed Balls said: 

"The internet presents tremendous opportunities for young people, but with this come risks. Online safety is an issue of growing importance for parents and families who rightly have concerns about what their children see and do online.

"New standards on internet safety mark a watershed in government and industry cooperation. I am pleased some of the biggest names in the industry, including Microsoft, Google, and Bebo are giving it their backing. In addition, our new digital code will provide a handy tool for children and parents to give them the confidence to know how to protect themselves online. 

"Today’s launch of the first ever child internet safety strategy is a pivotal moment in implementing the recommendations from Professor Tanya Byron’s review. The range of measures we are introducing will ensure that, with Government and charities, some of the biggest websites continue to play their part in keeping children safe online. I’m delighted that Professor Byron will return in January to review the progress made since 2008.

"But I know that there’s even more we can do to educate children and young people, who are using online media at an ever earlier age. That’s why we are making online safety a compulsory part of the primary curriculum from 2011."

The new Digital Code ‘Zip it, Block it, Flag it’ is a big step forward in helping young people and their parents understand how to use the internet safely. Backed by £2m of government investment, it represents the first stage of a campaign that is aimed at reaching the widest possible audience within the UK.