Online interference

There can be no doubt that the widespread use of devices, especially by children and young people, is causing a problem.

- David Harvey

Gavin Ellis posed the question in a recent blog post, “If there was a product that had the potential to cause your child serious and demonstrable harm, would you expect the government to place controls on it?”

The former Herald editor turned media researcher likens social media to a toxic chemical that can kill. He considers such platforms as Snapchat and Instagram carry much of the responsibility and he wants them declared publishers - subject to the same responsibilities and liabilities as the people who produce newspapers or broadcasts. The “safe harbour” provisions in the Harmful Digital Communications Act, protecting content hosts from liability for items posted by third parties, should not be available to online platforms, he says.

Online safety advocate Rob Cope takes a different path. Cope has been an educator in online safety since 2018. He has written books on mental health and been deeply concerned about rising rates of anxiety and depression among tweens and teens attributed to online harm.