The Know Daily - Wednesday 8 May 2024

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In the Australian state of Queensland, an area the size of Yosemite national park has been acquired for conservation. The purchase was made possible through an anonymous donation of $21m, which has been described as probably the single largest philanthropic contribution to land protection in Australia.

📲 Adapting algorithms

Social media platforms have been told to reformulate algorithms recommending harmful content to children, as part of Ofcom’s new codes of practice. 

What’s the background?
The Online Safety Act was introduced last autumn, and since then the UK media regulator Ofcom has been tasked with setting out how they expect tech firms to meet their new legal responsibilities to protect children. 

Ofcom has published a range of draft codes of practice in recent months, reported The Standard. These latest codes include more than 40 practical measures that Ofcom says will deliver a “step-change” in online safety for children in the UK. 

What are the specific measures?
The draft codes call on tech firms to make their platforms child-safe by default - and if not, to implement thorough age checks. For sites with age checks, companies will be required to “tame” recommendation algorithms (like“For You” pages) to ensure they do not show potentially harmful content to children. 

Is this even possible?
According to The Guardian, enforcing the new algorithm requirements will pose a challenge, with some companies “unsure how their own systems decide what content to promote and suppress”. Nevertheless, Ofcom says it is confident that its enforcement will be effective - and tech firms who don’t comply with the new codes could face hefty fines.

How have the proposals been received?
It’s been mixed. Some campaigners argue more still needs to be done to protect young people from online harm, while a spokesperson from the children’s charity NSPCC said the draft code was a “welcome step in the right direction”.

The draft code is open for consultation until 17 July, before it is finalised and presented to parliament.