To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2023, a group of young people – including three current National Anti-Bullying Youth Board members and four Youth Board alumni – visited Meta Headquarters in London to discuss staying safe online.
To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2023, a group of young people – including three current National Anti-Bullying Youth Board members and four Youth Board alumni – visited Meta Headquarters in London to discuss staying safe online.
The group met for a round table discussion with David Miles, Director of Safety Policy for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and Sophie England, Head of UK & Ireland Policy Programmes and Partnerships at Meta.
The Online Safety Bill is a proposed piece of UK legislation that aims to improve internet safety, with a “particular emphasis on protecting children from seeing harmful content” (Loffhagen, 2023). The new Online Safety Bill will make it mandatory for platforms to moderate the content that is shared online. Meta is currently working with the charity Internet Matters to help educate parents/carers and provide them with skills to promote healthy online use, so the group were curious to learn more about what safety features Meta has in place to safeguard young people.
Zac, Youth Board alumni, was keen to learn about what safety features Meta has available to improve young people’s experience online. The team at Meta explained that they are working with companies TCC Labs and Smart Design to gather thoughts from young people, which will inform policies around wellbeing and online supervision. Sophie explained the importance of balancing the needs and cultures of everyone when creating global safety policies.
Harman, Youth Board alumni wanted to know more about how Meta promotes digital literacy. David explained that Meta’s use of haptic interfaces (touch screens) means that there is less need for keyboard literacy, creating more opportunities for people from lower-literacy backgrounds to engage with tech.
In a conversation about age limits and verification processes, Rose, Youth Board alumni asked what Meta does to ensure these age restriction guidelines are being followed. The group heard about Meta’s age assurance features, using things like artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of technology to determine if users are old enough to be using platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. David explained that the team at Meta have already introduced apps like Messenger Kids outside of Europe, so that young people under the age of 13 can begin to safely explore social media in a child-friendly atmosphere.
Theo, Youth Board alumni asked what the future of the Metaverse – the virtual reality interactive space developed by Meta, formerly Facebook – has in store. The Meta team assured the group that safety features will continue to play an important role in shaping the Metaverse so that all users can make the most of the exciting virtual reality opportunities that lie ahead.
“The Metaverse is a new ecosystem, and like any new technology, we’re figuring out how we can make all elements, including safety features, work in harmony.” – David Miles
Alongside the discussion, the young people tested out Meta’s virtual reality headsets as part of their unique Quest Software. The software aims to help orientate users inside virtual reality through a series of games and activities. It was a blast!
Finishing the day with a tour of the eighth floor (and a bit of vertigo in the glass elevators on the way up!), the young people got involved with some fun interactive displays and emoji games before getting together for a photo opportunity.
Why is online safety important for young people?
We asked Youth Board members to share their thoughts on why it’s important to be safe and knowledgeable online:
“I think online safety is very important for young people, as without sufficient safety being taught and implemented it can lead to drastic consequences, such as radicalisation (the process of adopting extreme social or political views).”
– Monty, Youth Board Member
“I think we should encourage and spread awareness about online safety to younger people. I believe that if we talk about the issues surrounding safety, from one younger person to another, the point will get across sincerely. We tend to listen to people who are older than us, so I hope people can look up to the Youth Board as a safe space and a source of inspiration. Nowadays, people can get pressured by social media to do certain things, so safety is an important factor to keep in mind when online.”
– Zinat, Youth Board Member
Apply to join the National Youth Board now!
Applications are now open for the 2023-24 National Anti-Bullying Youth Board. To learn more about the Youth Board and to apply, click here.
Accessing Support
Always remember to block, unfollow, and report content that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. If you’re worried about your online activity or want to learn more about how to stay safe online, you can check out our wide range of free resources for young people, educators, and parents/carers:
The Diana Award Advice Messenger provides free*, 24/7 text support across the UK. If you are a young person under 25 who needs support, you can text DA to 85258. Trained volunteers will give you the space to share how you’re feeling via text and help you think through the next step towards feeling better. Find out more about accessing support here.
References
Loffhagen, E. (2023) ‘What is the Online Safety Bill and what amendments have been made?’, Evening Standard, 22 February. Available at: What is the Online Safety Bill and what amendments have been made? (Accessed: 14 March 2023).
TTC Labs (2022) Co-designing with teens and parents for online supervision. Available at: TTC Labs - Co-designing with teens and parents for online supervision (Accessed: 01 March 2023)
Related Blogs
The Diana Award - SAFER INTERNET DAY 2022 (diana-award.org.uk)
The Diana Award - BACK TO SCHOOL: MANAGING STRESS (diana-award.org.uk)
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