Owen Bennett

@owbennett.bsky.social

461 Followers 327 Following

Now: Independent consultant and Fellow at the Hertie School. Then: Head of International Online Safety at Ofcom; Senior Policy Manager at Mozilla.

Screenshot from BBC coverage on UK social media ban plans:

Children's Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza says under-16s across the country want to cut down on social media, but "don't know how".

On Monday she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that "there is a groundswell from everyone that we need to get something done".

The consultation comes as Keir Starmer says "decisive" action is needed for under-16s on social media. For de Souza, the language shouldn't be about "banning the children", but instead "banning the companies".

"The children have done nothing wrong," she told Radio 4. "We are protecting children by not allowing these companies to have access to them."

Owen Bennett, International digital policy expert; former Head of Online Safety Ofcom - AI and the rise of deepfakes

This year’s MOOC will provide participants with an insight into the rapidly developing impact and intersection of Social Media, AI and the Law. The course will offer an overview of recent advancements, delving into issues surrounding liability, regulation, privacy and data protection, social media bans, cybercrime and e-commerce. It will also explore the considerable impact on our work environment and daily lives, including digital manipulation and surveillance.

Expert speakers, lawyers, public figures and academics will review the current state of play, demystify concerns, discuss the potential impact in the coming years, and much more.

A screenshot of the course overview and what is covered in the two parts of the mini-course. The overview can be read on the course website: https://www.platform.courses/osa-mini