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Sex offenders face website bans Sex offenders face website bans
(about 1 hour later)
Sex offenders' e-mail addresses are to be passed to social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo to prevent them contacting children.Sex offenders' e-mail addresses are to be passed to social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo to prevent them contacting children.
Under government proposals, offenders who do not give police their address - or give a false one - would face up to five years in jail.Under government proposals, offenders who do not give police their address - or give a false one - would face up to five years in jail.
Websites would be expected to monitor the e-mail address usage or block them accessing the sites.Websites would be expected to monitor the e-mail address usage or block them accessing the sites.
The Home Office said the new laws would apply to about 30,000 sex offenders.The Home Office said the new laws would apply to about 30,000 sex offenders.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she wanted children to be "free from fear".Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she wanted children to be "free from fear".
HOME OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS Display links to organisations such as CEOP, NSPCC, Samaritans and others so abuse can be reported or users can quickly get helpArrange for net firms and police forces to share reports of potentially illegal and suspicious behaviourMake it more difficult for people registered as being over 18 to search for and contact users who are under 18Work to ensure children do not share too much personal information Children flock to social networksAt a glance: The Byron Review
"We need to patrol the internet to keep predators away from children in the same way as we patrol the real world," she told GMTV."We need to patrol the internet to keep predators away from children in the same way as we patrol the real world," she told GMTV.
Asked how the scheme would prevent sex offenders from having multiple e-mail addresses that may not be registered, she said it could never be "completely foolproof". Industry co-operation
"The fact that it cannot be completely foolproof I don't think is an argument against us trying and working with willing partners as industry have proved to be." Children's charities have welcomed the measures, but others say the internet cannot be policed.
The exact details of the monitoring system will be worked out by the government's Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre and internet firms. The exact details of the monitoring system will be worked out by the government's Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre and internet firms.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said one of the details which was still unclear was how the scheme would work with websites based abroad over which the UK has no jurisdiction. Ceop already tries to police the internet, investigating 400 reports every month from children experiencing some form of abuse online.
Both Facebook and MySpace are based in California. HOME OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS Display links to organisations such as Ceop, NSPCC, Samaritans and others so abuse can be reported or users can quickly get helpArrange for net firms and police forces to share reports of potentially illegal and suspicious behaviourMake it more difficult for people registered as being over 18 to search for and contact users who are under 18Work to ensure children do not share too much personal information class="" href="/1/hi/technology/7325019.stm">Children flock to social networks class="" href="/1/hi/technology/7316700.stm">At a glance: The Byron Review
Annie Mullins, chairman of the Home Office task force on child protection and the internet, said it would not be easy to bar registered child sex offenders from social networking sites. The Home Office said it had been in talks with internet firms including MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, Piczo and Yahoo.
The home secretary told BBC News: "I have been very encouraged by the willingness of industry to actually work with us.
"They want children and young people to be safe when they're using their sites. They want to make sure people get the benefits whilst we minimise the risks."
She said she accepted such a scheme could never be "completely foolproof" but did not see that as a reason not to try.
The move comes after a survey by telecoms regulator Ofcom found nearly half of children aged from eight to 17 had a profile on a social-networking site.
And a third of those aged nine to 19 who used the internet weekly had received sexual comments via e-mail, instant message, chat or text message, the survey indicated.
Annie Mullins, chairman of the Home Office task force on child protection and the internet, said it would not be easy to bar registered child sex offenders from social-networking sites.
She said it was important to consider the security issues of any list and how that list was transferred and managed by a third party.She said it was important to consider the security issues of any list and how that list was transferred and managed by a third party.
"They are concerns to industry, and these are something we would wish to talk to the government in some depth about, and be assured that they really understand the technology, and that the technology can deliver.
"The most important thing is that parents engage with their children, use the software that is available and keep an ongoing dialogue.""The most important thing is that parents engage with their children, use the software that is available and keep an ongoing dialogue."
Profile pages
The new government guidance comes after the telecoms regulator Ofcom talked to 5,000 adults and 3,000 children and found nearly half of those aged between eight and 17 had a profile on social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo.
Members use their profile page to show journal entries, messages, photos, music and videos, allowing them to keep in touch with friends and up to date with their activities.
The recent Byron review found 41% of the children surveyed had their profile set so anyone, rather than just friends, could view it.
We feel it will add protection for children using the internet Shaun KellyNCH Social networking guidanceWe feel it will add protection for children using the internet Shaun KellyNCH Social networking guidance
It also found about a third of those aged between nine and 19 who used the internet weekly had received sexual comments via e-mail, instant message, chat or text message. Some of the main concerns with the new measures are how to prevent sex offenders from having multiple e-mail address that may not be registered.
The Home Office said offenders who use an e-mail address that has not been given to the police, face up to five years in prison.
Further concerns surround working with websites based abroad over which the UK has no jurisdiction. Both Facebook and MySpace are based in California.
Shaun Kelly, from the children's charity NCH, welcomed the new measures.Shaun Kelly, from the children's charity NCH, welcomed the new measures.
"We feel it will add protection for children using the internet," he said."We feel it will add protection for children using the internet," he said.
"It will mean that those who have previously offended against children will be stopped from accessing certain websites and certain social networking sites that children and young people are known to use. I think that will increase children's online safety." "It will mean that those who have previously offended against children will be stopped from accessing certain websites and certain social networking sites that children and young people are known to use."
But Donald Findlater, from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which works with survivors and perpetrators of child sex abuse, warned that banning sex offenders could be counterproductive.But Donald Findlater, from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which works with survivors and perpetrators of child sex abuse, warned that banning sex offenders could be counterproductive.
"Sex offenders need to be encouraged to live good lives too, and by stopping them using a technology that actually means they can't communicate with other adults... may rebound badly on those individuals.""Sex offenders need to be encouraged to live good lives too, and by stopping them using a technology that actually means they can't communicate with other adults... may rebound badly on those individuals."
The government guidance contains recommendations for service providers and safety advice for first-time users.The government guidance contains recommendations for service providers and safety advice for first-time users.
It also includes:
  • Arrangements for the industry and law enforcement agencies to share reports of potentially illegal activity and suspicious behaviour
It also includes:
  • Arrangements for the industry and law enforcement agencies to share reports of potentially illegal activity and suspicious behaviour
  • Making it more difficult for people registered over the age of 18 to search for users under the age of 18
  • Making it more difficult for people registered over the age of 18 to search for users under the age of 18
  • Encouraging children not to provide excessive information about themselves
  • Encouraging children not to provide excessive information about themselves
  • Social networking sites including links to organisations such as CEOP, the NSPCC and the Samaritans so users can get help or report potential problems easily
  • Social-networking sites including links to organisations such as Ceop, the NSPCC and the Samaritans so users can get help or report potential problems easily
  • Other government measures include a "kitemark" for filtering software.Other government measures include a "kitemark" for filtering software.
    Chief Executive of CEOP Jim Gamble said the guidance had the "real potential to accelerate online child protection". Chief Executive of Ceop Jim Gamble said the guidance had the "real potential to accelerate online child protection".
    "It will provide parents with those crucial indicators as to which sites and providers they should be using, allowing children the chance to get on and enjoy the full benefits of the internet with vital reassurance," he said. "It will provide parents with those crucial indicators as to which sites and providers they should be using, allowing children the chance to get on and enjoy the full benefits of the internet with vital reassurance."