Ulster Unionist Party Assembly Candidate for Mid-Ulster, Sandra Overend, has said that Safer Internet Day 2017, which takes place on Tuesday 7th February, provides another reminder of the Executive’s failure to deliver an internet safety strategy.
Mrs Overend, who has championed internet safety throughout her time as an elected representative, said:
“We are all increasingly aware of the positive difference the internet has made in connecting people across the world, and in making our day-to-day lives easier, but as well as opportunities, there are threats in the online world, particularly for our children and young people. Accessing inappropriate content, cyber bullying and sexting are areas of concern.
“It is clear that Northern Ireland needs a cross-departmental internet safety strategy to help keep young people safe online, and for too long, the DUP/Sinn Fein led Executive have sat on their hands and have not progressed this issue. As long ago as 2012, I met with then Junior Ministers Jonathan Bell and Jennifer McCann, and they committed to backing my proposal to draft a cross-departmental internet safety strategy.
“More than four years on, despite the soundbites and platitudes from the lead parties, sadly we have seen no concrete delivery. Since then we have had multiple Assembly debates, and despite achieving cross-party support, there has been precious little action from the Executive. As another Safer Internet Day comes around and puts the focus on e-safety, it serves as another reminder of the failure of the outgoing Executive to deliver in this area.
“With younger generations spending more and more time online, continuous advances in technology mean that standing still on internet safety is effectively going backwards, and the Executive has a responsibility to do all that they can to ensure that our children and young people are safe when they use the internet.
“To allow technological advances to get ahead of technological protection will be to expose children to content and actions which may cause them harm, and we must not allow that to happen. Furthermore, parents need help and guidance about where to turn for advice in order to help keep their children safe.
“Safer Internet Day 2017 takes place on Tuesday 7th February with the theme 'Be the change: unite for a better internet'. It is very important that all parties and stakeholders work together to make improvements in online safety, as this is an issue that affects all of our children and young people.
“Unfortunately, this is yet another area in which the DUP/Sinn Fein Executive has failed to deliver. For the sake of all of our children and young people, they cannot be allowed to go on ignoring this vital issue.”
For more information in Safer Internet Day as well as useful e-safety resources, please visit https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2017