Internet Safety and the Law in the UK

Why is it important to stay safe online?

The potential for the internet to be a valuable and fun resource for entertainment, making friends and learning is huge. But if you use the internet, you could be at risk of illegal activity or abuse - be it bullying, fraud or something more serious. Unlike seeing someone face to face, on the net, people aren't always what they first seem.

In the same way you learn about safety when you leave the house, it is important to learn how to stay safe online. These are skills that will stay with you for life.

Some Golden Rules

• Don't give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
• Don't open emails or attachments from people you don't know.
• Don't become online ‘friends’ with people you don't know.
• Never arrange to meet someone in person who you've met online.
• If anything you see or read online worries you, tell someone about it.

Social networking

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter have become incredibly popular in recent years.

Most users are genuine, but because it is so easy to hide your real identity, it is possible to come into contact with people you would normally avoid.

The Risks

• Privacy
• The internet offers you a lot of freedom and this can lead some people to behave in ways they would not behave in public.
• They might:
• say things in a chat room they would never say face to face
• give out personal information about themselves or others that they would normally keep private
• A common example
• A young person tries to let their friends know about their birthday party by posting the information about when and where on their social networking site. This means hundreds of people end up knowing about the party and turn up uninvited. The party could turn into chaos with people getting angry and even refusing to leave. The police would have to get involved to turn people away.

Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying can work in the same way as bullying in the playground; the victim feels frightened and alone, while the bully tries to hide from being caught.

Comments, images and videos about a person can be posted online causing the victim to feel frightened and upset.

It is even possible for cyber bullies to hack into the victim's personal accounts and harass them from within their own user profile.

Often cyber bullies feel braver because they can't be seen, but it can be the most traceable form of bullying because there's evidence that it's happened.

But because bullies think they can cover up their identity online sometimes people who wouldn't normally bully might do so online.

Cyber stalking

Harassment on the internet can be just as frightening as other forms of stalking.

Women and girls are usually the victims of this kind of behaviour.

They might be harassed by an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend who is upset about the end of their relationship, for example.

It can also begin when a purely online friendship turns sour.

It can even begin entirely at random, by one online stranger towards another.

Identity Theft

The more information you make available online, the greater the risk of identity theft. It can be very tempting to post information about yourself on social networking sites, but you should never do it.

Personal information includes your:

• email address
• phone number
• postal address
• any banking information

The consequences of fraud can be huge, so you should be aware of the very serious risks. If someone steals you or your parent's identity they can:

• steal a lot of money
• commit crimes that could put you or your parents in danger
• commit crimes that you or your parents could get into trouble for

Online grooming

The internet is a highly interactive tool which can allow people to communicate with each other very easily, through internet chat programs and social networking sites.

Paedophiles have been known to use this method to contact young people by disguising themselves as another young person. This can lead to gaining the trust of an individual and their friends. These false relationships based on lies can often pave way for exposure to upsetting images and online content and in some cases arranging a meeting in person.

Online grooming is the term used to describe inappropriate behavior towards a young person, putting them at risk to a sexual offence.

Even if nothing dangerous does happen, knowing you may have had contact with somebody like this can be extremely upsetting.

Other types of internet use

E-mails, Spam & Viruses

If you have an e-address, at some point you might receive a message from someone you don't know. They could be:

• selling something (this is called a ‘spam’ email)
• sending you a virus
• sending you an attachment
• sending abusive or explicit content

The golden rule is, if the email is from someone you don't know, delete it.

• If it is spam, you might get ripped off.
• If it is a virus, your computer might get damaged.
• If it is an attachment, it might contain a virus, or it might be something you don't want to see.
• If it is abusive or explicit, it might upset you or even get you into trouble.

You can avoid unwanted emails by getting the right software. This is something for an adult to sort out, but you might know more about it than them already, so help them out.

Illegal Material

The internet is a constantly growing field of information connecting millions of people across the world. It is a great tool, but something that can be open to abuse. This means that there is a lot of offensive and illegal material available to view at any time.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) works with the police, the government and the education sector to reduce the following kinds of material:

• child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world
• criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK
• incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK
• non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK

There is a difference between something that's offensive and something that's illegal. You are not expected to know the law in detail - but if you see something that worries you:

• tell a responsible adult
• tell a teacher
• tell a police officer

Reporting illegal material

If you come across something that is illegal, you can report it to the Internet Watch Foundation. Remember that there is a difference between illegal material and offensive material. The IWF and the police can only get involved if the law has been broken.

If you report a crime to the IWF:

• you can choose to remain anonymous by not giving your name
• any details you provide will be kept strictly confidential

For information about what happens when you submit a report, go to the IWF website.

On the same site you can also read about the laws that cover illegal material on the internet.