Today Ofcom laid out its marching orders for tech platforms to shield children from “legal but harmful” content in a major step in enforcing the Online Safety Act. Come July, companies that fail to block kids from ‘harmful’ content risk eye-watering fines. Ofcom director Melanie Dawes was on the Today programme to flog the new rules. She pointed to Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ as an example of tech companies failing children, and why they need to be regulated now:
“I think in the end what’s happening here and it’s not just in the UK, it is just a change in how people are seeing all of this. Whether it’s the drama Adolescence and that’s brought to life some of these problems of misogyny, pornography, violent content on our kids internet feeds.”
Ministers have already seized the opportunity to make policy from the fictional drama. Meanwhile, science secretary Peter Kyle says the government’s eyeing up social media curfews for kids, saying he’s “watching very carefully” how TikTok’s 10 p.m. lights-out for under-16s plays out, encouraging other social media platforms to consider similar tools. Nanny state latest…
A new campaign from MPs in the Culture, Media, and Sport committee is calling for a new tax on streaming services. Higher prices for UK streamers…
This tax, 5% of subscriber revenue, would be put “into a cultural fund to help finance drama with a specific interest to British audiences” because “distinctly British content” is “under threat.” The report says productions like ‘Adolescence’ are “vital” to the country’s “identity, national conversations and talent pipeline.” It was of course produced by Netflix, which MPs are now proposing to tax. Make it make sense…
The tax campaign, led by CMS committee chairman Caroline Dinenage, has had wide airings on the Today Programme, Sky News, and across the BBC and print media. The fund it would establish would decide to fund strategic British drama productions to stimulate the national conversation in the same way that ‘Adolescence’ has done. Might as well just found ‘Britfilm‘ now and be done with it…
Things have got so absurd with ‘Adolescence’ that Kemi is having to argue with Naga Munchetty as to whether or not it is crucial to watch as a “documentary” on “toxic masculinity” and “smartphone use.” Not only is Adolescence writing government social policy, it is now to be responsible for levying additional taxes…
In bombshell news Downing Street cannot say if Starmer’s Cabinet has seen fictional Netflix TV drama ‘Adolescence.’ Education secretary Phillipson was at the first “festival of childhood” this morning to continue talking about the drama. Apparently the show has portrayed a “defining issue of our time” and more male teachers are needed to provide stronger role models, “illustrated by the Netflix series Adolescence.” Pass the sick cup…
“It’s clear the behaviour of boys, their influences, and the young men they become, is a defining issue of our time. That’s why this week the Prime Minister convened a roundtable on rethinking adolescent safety.”
At today’s Lobby briefing to journalists Starmer’s spokesman could not guarantee that all the Cabinet had seen the show, despite Starmer spending hours watching it himself, displaying the “distressing” content to an underage audience, and developing policy off the back of it. Worse – Starmer hasn’t even told his ministers to watch it. Despite having instructed schools to show it to children…
Downing Street has briefed that Starmer will today host a “roundtable” in No 10 with the creators of Netflix’s moral panic drama “Adolescence.” No 10 says “the roundtable shows his concerns and determination to play his part in addressing the multiple challenges the show raises.” The main “challenge” its creators are raising is to ban social media…
Show creator Jack Thorne, who wants it shown to MPs and all classrooms, says: “We do believe perhaps the answer to this is in parliament and legislating – and taking kids away from their phones in school and taking kids away from social media altogether.” A suggestion slapped down in recent days by the heroic Youth Parliament…
Starmer’s discussions with the show creators will no doubt include some pathway to greater regulation. Will the PM be challenged on his shocking decision to show the “disturbing” drama to underage children?
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”