Internet a "lawless jungle"

Posted By: James

Monday 11th August 2014

A former government adviser has warned that the internet is a “lawless jungle that will soon be too dangerous for children to use". In an interview with the Independent, Anthony Smythe, the managing director of BeatBullying, says current law is "not fit for purpose". Mr Smythe, who was a senior policy adviser at the Department for Education, says the lack of regulation online is putting vulnerable children at risk of self-harm and even suicide. "For many years the Government has failed to stand up to the industry. We've hit a point now where we need to introduce legislation if children are going to be safe online," said Mr Smythe. BeatBullying says the Government needs to review the Communications Act and the Protection from Harassment Act, both of which it says could be used in cases of cyberbullying. "The problem with the current law is that bullying is not defined, therefore it goes unused when dealing with bullying," Mr Smythe said. "A law which, for the first time, legally defined bullying would help address this, and would help young people understand that bullying behaviour can lead to legal sanctions."

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