071/2001 20 March 2001 GOVERNMENT CHALLENGES INTERNET INDUSTRY TO MAKE CHATROOMS "CHAT WISE STREET WISE" The Government today laid down a challenge to the Internet industry - "make UK cyberspace the safest place in the world for our online generation." Following publication of the Internet Crime Forum Report, "Chat Wise Street Wise - Children & Internet Chat Services," Home Office Minister Lord Bassam laid down the challenge and announced a high level meeting of key players in the Internet industry, child welfare organisations and the police to take forward the report's recommendations. Speaking at the launch of the report, Lord Bassam said: "On-and off-line, the Government places a high priority on tackling the menace of sex offences against children: ensuring the police have the powers to detect and pursue offenders; the courts have the powers to deal with them; and working with ISPs to ensure UK cyberspace provides the safest and best environment for legitimate Internet users. "But more can and must be done. Everyone has a part to play in protecting our children, and we note that the ICF report's recommendations include measures for the Internet industry, child welfare organisations, police and Government to consider. "For this reason, the Home Secretary will be calling together the major UK Internet industry bodies, child welfare organisations and police to a strategic meeting next week. "The aim is very simple - we wish to set a challenge for the Internet industry - that of ensuring that the UK is the safest place for children to access the Internet in the industrialised world. "I realise this is not an easy challenge - but I am sure it is one that the innovative UK Internet industry can rise to by applying the vision, technical innovation and good business sense that have made it as successful as it is today. Good business sense and public confidence go hand in hand." The meeting will take place at the Home Office next Wednesday 28 March, and will focus on four key areas: - how to tackle the increasing problem of internet chatrooms being used as a means by paedophiles to groom and subsequently abuse children; - how to prevent access to child pornography available on parts of the internet; - how Internet Service Providers and the police can work in partnership to bring paedophiles on the internet to justice; - how to increase the confidence of parents that their children will be safe on the internet. NOTES TO EDITORS 1. The Internet Crime Forum report is posted on the ICF website at http://www.internetcrimeforum.org.uk/ 2. A full text of Lord Bassam's comments at the report's launch follows: "I would like to thank Deputy Chief Superintendent Keith Ackerman for introducing the Report of the Internet Crime Forum sub group on Internet Chat Rooms. It is a detailed and useful report on the nature of chatrooms and the problems which can arise when they are misused by paedophiles who may attempt to contact children. This is an abuse which causes the Government very grave concern. Speaking as a parent, it is an issue which I have a deep interest in. "The Government welcomes the report and its recommendations. This is an area on which it is essential that we make progress, working together, and achieve real results. For this reason I am delighted to announce that the Home Secretary is calling together the main players to a strategic meeting early next week. This will include the major UK Internet industry bodies, children charities and law enforcement agencies. "The aim is very simple - we wish to set a challenge for the Internet industry - that of ensuring that the UK is the safest and most secure place for children to access the Internet in the industrialised world. "I realise this is not an easy challenge. But I am sure it is one to which the UK's Internet Industry can rise to by applying the vision, technical innovation and good business sense that have made the Industry as successful as it is today. Good business sense and public confidence go hand in hand. "As the report makes clear in its recommendations, the protection of children on the Internet requires input from all quarters, industry, law enforcement, parents (through education and awareness) and of course Government. We must ensure that the law is kept under constant review to meet the challenges which may be caused by the development of new technology. In many cases however, these challenges do not involve new crimes, but merely offer a different, or more convenient way for criminals to continue in their 'old' abuse of children. "In response to concerns raised by what has been perceived as Internet Crime, the Government has already changed the law in a number of respects. Through the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 the Government raised the age of a child to be protected in the Indecency with Children Act from under 14 to under 16. This means that conspiracy, incitement or attempts to commit gross indecency with a child under 16 are offences whether done over the Internet or not, and carry a penalty of up to 10 years. "The same Act also significantly increased the maximum sentences for child pornography offences. "Both these vital child protection measures came into effect on 11 January this year. We believe these significant changes should address many of the concerns which have been raised, both in the House and outside, about the coverage of the criminal law in respect of paedophile abuse of the Internet. "But this does not mean we will stop at that point. We are looking actively at the criminal law in this area as part of our major and comprehensive overhaul of the whole criminal law on sex offences. We are considering as a matter of priority whether anything further can be done to strengthen the protections for children afforded by the criminal law. "And we must also ensure that the law enforcement authorities have necessary, but proportionate powers to detect and pursue crime committed through the Internet. That is why we introduced the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and have invested extra resources to create a National Hi Tech Crime Unit and to enable police at both national and local level to acquire additional skills and equipment to undertake computer network investigations and the forensic examination of a suspect's and victim's computers and secure evidence to bring it before the courts. "In conclusion, therefore, the Government welcomes this report. It is a clear indication of the commitment of the industry to tackle this difficult area. But we see it as only the starting point in a process radically to improve and strengthen child protection measures on the Internet. We look forward to discussing this issue further with the industry at our forthcoming meeting. We must together - Government, industry and the police - ensure that real and sustained progress is made in tackling this abuse of the Net, so that our children can truly surf the net in safety."