"Lead" doing a lot of heavy lifting here in the new AI Minister's reminiscences of how these #onlinesafety amendments ended up on statute book. Certainly likely to come as a surprise to civil society #VAWG campaigners, cross-party MPs and Peers and, erm, his colleagues in the Home Office. #iykyk

A governance model that just waits for powerful individuals to change their minds is doomed. Governments need to start listening to other people.

Jack Stilgoe@jackstilgoe.bsky.social · last mo.

Tech leaders are not 'changing their minds' about AI. They're being forced to admit things they previously didn't want to.

Dolly Parton in Paídi Ó Sé's, Co Kerry, Ireland, 1990. RIP

Dolly Parton in Paídi Ó Sé's Pub

YouTube video by paidiosekerry

youtube.com

If the purported No10 Bluesky account isn’t genuine, it does rather underline one of the problems of govt not having an established presence here- namely that it creates a vacuum for others to try and fill to impersonate them!

Ofcom unable to take further legal action against suicide forum www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Take out the trash day? Absolutely not, Ofcom never even watched that episode

This. Also for big tech / social media co.s too. A single (always open) door into Govt for tech lobbyists means conversations about growth/sector support are also opps to argue against accountability/ regulation. This is the conflict at the heart of DSIT (and previously in "D is for digital" DCMS).

Matt Davies@halcyene.bsky.social · 3mo ago

In principle, it could be productive for (e.g.) AI governance to be handled by a Dept that does not see its primary duty as advocating for and seeking to grow the AI sector. An expanded DBT could still consider the interests of UK tech, without centring them at potential cost to others. (3/?)

absolute classic "I am 50 years old and have run large chunks of government and the boss has told us we have to listen this child on an away day" look

Thanks to @zoecrowther.bsky.social @politicshome.bsky.social for covering our call - backed by dozens of our partners - calling on the new PM to deliver a more ambitious approach to #onlinesafety and #AI policy and regulation. Full statement here: www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/onl...

Zoë Crowther@zoecrowther.bsky.social · 3mo ago

EXC: A coalition of charities, campaign groups, and academics has urged Andy Burnham to strengthen online safety laws if he enters No10 47 organisations said in a statement that the govt's approach to online safety has been "fragmented and slow" and a new PM should be an opportunity for a reset

Exc: A coalition of charities, campaign groups, researchers & academics has urged Burnham to strengthen online safety laws when he enters No 10 A statement led by the Online Safety Network calls on Burnham to bring in new legislation that'd be regularly updated to keep pace with evolving technology

Dozens Of Organisations Urge Burnham To Strengthen Online Safety Laws

Exclusive: A coalition of charities, campaign groups, researchers and academics has urged Andy Burnham to strengthen online safety laws if, as expe...

politicshome.com

“Tech isn’t exceptional. Abiding by the product safety requirements found in every other industrial sector should be the norm.” @maevewalsh.bsky.social Precisely. The huge mistake we made w/ the internet/social media was abandoning a duty of care. Instead of age gating, let’s ensure accountability.

Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A ban is a symbolic reset, writes Maeve Walsh of the Online Safety Act Network, but treating social media harms as a product safety failure—not just age-gating and hoping for the best—gets at the root, and it's already doable under the UK’s existing Online Safety Act.

A ban is a symbolic reset, writes Maeve Walsh of the @osanetwork.bsky.social, but treating social media harms as a product safety failure—not just age-gating and hoping for the best—gets at the root, and it's already doable under the UK’s existing Online Safety Act.

The New UK Prime Minister Inherits a Social Media Ban. The Real Goal Is Safety by Design.

Embedding safety by design is the only way to ensure substantive reduction of harms, argues Online Safety Act Network director Maeve Walsh.

buff.ly

The case for decisive action to address the harms created by social media platforms has been successfully made by children, parents, safety campaigners and many others. But the Government’s announcement today does them a disservice. 1/5

Wild that the Tories' Laura Trott has told #R4today "we tried policing content and it didn't work" as a reason for backing an all-out ban. There were plenty of people calling on the then Conservative government *not to make the #onlinesafetyact all about content* but they apparently knew best. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Under 16s to be banned from social media, and a white supremacist who fuels riots on our streets, still allowed to run a whole platform.

Until we see the details of what's in, what's out and how *it* (gestures vaguely at politically motivated, headline-grabbing mess) will be implemented, this from Emily Darlington is your must-read primer. #socialmedia #onlinesafetyact www.politico.eu/article/soci...

I’m a mum. Here’s why banning social media for under 16s won’t work.

I want kids to be safe online, but I don’t believe an Australia-style outright ban is the solution.

politico.eu

So X is poisonous enough to keep our kids from but still the preferred app of communication by government departments? Many have said it but I'll say it again: WTA yellow rubbery F?

Politics UK@politicsuk.com · 4mo ago

🚨 NEW: Under-16s in the UK will be banned from the following 10 social media apps TikTok YouTube Snapchat Instagram X Reddit Facebook Twitch Kick Threads

Prospect union - which represents civil service comms staff - has called on the Govt to leave X saying Govt use of it "legitimises it as a platform, and also results in civil service communications officers having to wade through racist content while doing their jobs." bectu.org.uk/news/prospec...

We are proud to join over 100 organisations and campaigners standing with Jess Asato MP in her significant, and brave, step to seek accountability from xAI, not just for herself but the countless women and girls harmed, as reported in @the-independent.com: 1/5 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

More than 100 campaigners back MP suing Elon Musk’s xAI over deepfake images of her

Exclusive: Jess Asato says the support she has received ‘feels like a shout for women’s freedom on the internet’

independent.co.uk

It's time for Labour to deliver on the promise made in Opposition to revise the Online Safety Act to address exactly this (and put back in everything else the Tories removed from the legislation that might have helped the mess we're in now.) A promise made by ... erm ... Lucy Powell.

Anthony Painter@anthonypainter.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This is not going to get any disagreement on here. I simply note, the post Southport riots and Musk's fanning of them was almost *two years ago*. Yet, if Labour is going to start taking Musk's assault on our democracy and society seriously then great. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Labour defending Twitter is a good example of why they are so ineffective in government: utterly unwilling to take decisions which have any controversy attached.

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Lammy says he doesn't think the Govt should come off X because that's where a lot of people get their information. FFS.

Repost if you’d like me to represent the UK at #Eurovision 2027.

I know I've talked about this before, but I do think the secret for progressive politics in the UK is unlocking the power of the capable, liberal, pissed-off middle-aged woman. One of worst things about McSweeneyism has been the tedious, boarish sexism that pushed through tedious, illiberal policies

If the government wants to tackle the "online breeding ground of antisemitism" why on earth are Keir Starmer, the government and @heidialexander.bsky.social still posting on X? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: Labour minister says government needs to tackle online 'breeding ground' of antisemitism

Shortly, we'll also hear from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Green Party leader Zack Polanski ahead of next week's elections.

bbc.co.uk

*stares in European*

NYTimes Communications@nytimespr.bsky.social · 6mo ago

A correction will appear in tomorrow's print edition: "A headline with an article on Friday about President Trump’s threats to leave NATO misstated the full name of the body. It is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, not the North American Treaty Organization."

Talking of banger tweets

@ofcom.bsky.social Chair job spec: a particular focus is #onlinesafety Successful candidate (according to @financialtimes.com): no relevant experience. Hard to see the logic, esp when #DSIT SofS has spent months berating the regulator over #onlinesafetyact enforcement www.ft.com/content/bdcc...

@ofcom.bsky.social Chair job spec: a particular focus is #onlinesafety Successful candidate (according to @financialtimes.com): no relevant experience. Hard to see the logic, esp when #DSIT SofS has spent months berating the regulator over #onlinesafetyact enforcement www.ft.com/content/bdcc...

And the House of Lords agreed: Baroness Kidron's amendment passed and now goes to the Commons. 👇🏼

LBC@lbc.co.uk · 7mo ago

'Tech companies must be criminally liable for harmful chatbots' ✍️ @maevewalsh.bsky.social for LBC Opinion

Tonight, the documentary, Molly vs. The Machines will be shown at 9pm on Channel 4. It tells the heartbreaking story of Molly Russell who tragically took her own life aged just 14 after viewing harmful content online. Molly’s story, as told by her family and friends, is not an isolated one. 1/

Our initial response to the Government's consultation on children's #onlinesafety, which is due to be published later this morning. More to follow once we've seen the detail. 👉🏼 www.onlinesafetyact.net/analysis/res...