Transatlantic ministers have agreed to cooperate via new initiatives such as the establishment of a dedicated working group that will research the impact of online platforms on young people’s wellbeing
UK and US ministers have unveiled a new transatlantic online safety agreement intended to encourage platforms to go “further and faster” to protect children.
In a statement agreed by UK tech secretary Peter Kyle and US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo, both governments have committed to closer collaboration to ensure online safety is not an “afterthought”.
As part of the “historic” move, both countries will work to ensure the benefits of technology can be maximised for society and social media firms protect human rights and promote safe content, the government said. The two nations have also committed to working with international partners on the issue.
The partnership will see the launch of a new joint children’s online safety working group, which will strive to boost research on the causal impact that social media has on young people. The cohort will focus on areas including promoting better transparency from platforms and helping to understand the impact on children of new technologies such as generative AI.
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The US Government established in March 2023 the Kids Online Health and Safety Taskforce to strengthen protections for children’s privacy and health online.
Raimondo said: “As more children across the US and around the globe have access to online platforms for online learning and social media, there is also increased risk to this exposure. That is why we are taking the necessary steps in the United States, and with our UK partners, to protect children’s privacy, safety, and mental health. We remain committed to combating youth online exploitation and this historic agreement will help us expand resources to support children and young people thrive online at home and abroad.”
Kyle said: “The online world brings incredible benefits for young people, enriching their education and social lives. But these experiences must take place in an environment which has safety baked in from the outset, not as an afterthought. Delivering this goal is my priority. The digital world has no borders and working with our international partners like the US – one of our closest allies and home to the biggest tech firms – is essential. This joint statement will turn our historic partnership towards delivering a safer online world for the next generation.”

A version of this story originally appeared on PublicTechnology sister publication Holyrood