13 September 2004

Govt Campaign to Warn of Internet Dangers

By staff writer

The Government is planning to mount a major new campaign to raise public awareness of computer security and internet safety risks.

Officials from the Home Office and other government departments are currently engaged in talks with the computer and internet industry and law enforcement agencies on a possible joint information initiative. The discussions have been ongoing under the codename 'Project Endurance'.

A number of related online safety initiatives currently operate across government, aside from those run by groups such as children's charities, internet service providers and the Internet Watch Foundation.

The Home Office has led on alerting young people and parents to the potential dangers of internet chatrooms, establishing a task force in 2001 aimed at protecting children online. In January the task force launched 'Think U Know', a £3 million public awareness campaign about staying safe in online chatrooms. This followed on from a earlier chatroom safety campaign, called 'Wiseuptothenet', which cost £1.5m.

The Department for Education and Skills also has significant interests in promoting child protection on the internet. Its safe surfing projects include Parents Online, the 'Superhighway Safety' guidance for schools, as well as GridClub, a £6m service designed to help 7 to 11 year-olds learn about safe use of the internet.

Currently, the Government lacks a central point of public information covering all aspects of e-security and e-safety, with advice for businesses and home users, parents and adults, scattered - and duplicated - across a range of websites. ( For a list of sources of official advice, see: http://www.egovmonitor.com/link?140a) Will a new website for the public awareness campaign bring together this mass of information or add to it?

* In a separate development, the Home Office will be meeting with internet service providers later this month to discuss ways that they work together to improve child safety on the internet and limit access to images of child abuse online, wherever they are hosted.