{"id":86613,"date":"2017-11-23T16:56:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-23T16:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=c29df637df44c53161f1aa44cf6bcfbb"},"modified":"2017-11-23T16:56:07","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T16:56:07","slug":"speech-baroness-shields-speech-the-reality-of-young-life-behind-screens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=86613","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Baroness Shields’ speech: the reality of young life behind screens"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Your Eminence (Cardinal Parolin), excellencies, friends and child advocates. We gather
\nhere at the Pontifical Gregorian University, this great learning institution, under a burden
\nof tremendous responsibility. We are here at the invitation of Father Hans Zollner,
\nPresident of the world leading Centre for Child Protection, to examine the state of
\nchildren, their dignity and safety in the emerging digital world. A world which is only
\nnow coming into view.<\/p>\n

It is indeed a remarkable time to be alive. Technology empowers and enriches us in
\nways we never thought imaginable. Yet whilst it offers endless opportunities and
\npossibilities, technology is also transforming childhood beyond recognition.<\/p>\n

For more than a quarter of a century, we have been travelling at warp speed into this
\nunknown future; extolling the virtues of the digital revolution that would democratise
\naccess to information, connect us all and help us understand each other better. When
\nnegative aspects were revealed, when the cracks began to show, we assured ourselves
\nthat this was the price to pay for progress but it was worth it. And whilst acknowledging
\nthat darkness too inhabited this brave new world, we were blinded by the light.<\/p>\n

Years from now, when history writes the chapter entitled \u201cthe digital age\u201d, will it celebrate the
\nimmense benefits that technology has delivered and the great human progress that followed? Or,
\nwill it be a requiem of regret for childhood lost?<\/p>\n

As it stands today my fear is that history will judge us harshly unless we act now. The next
\ngenerations will rightly ask why we didn\u2019t do more. Why we didn\u2019t act decisively. Why we
\nwaited so long before coming together to find solutions. But this is not a time to despair. We
\nhave within our grasp the opportunity to shape the future and we must act.<\/p>\n

What you witnessed in the opening video is a glimpse into the minds of seven young
\npeople. What they are thinking, feeling and experiencing. What life is really like for them
\nas it becomes increasingly and predominantly digital. If these examples seem extreme,
\nI assure you that they are not. They represent real life examples with devastating
\nconsequences experienced by young people all over the world.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never been a victim of online crime or abuse, or known someone who has been,
\nthese stories are hard to relate to. But it becomes real when you meet a mother whose
\ndaughter was so distraught from incessant cyberbullying that she committed suicide. It
\nbecomes real when you\u2019re sitting with parents of a pre-schooler who was abducted and
\nmurdered by a paedophile who just hours before was looking at child sexual abuse
\nimages accessible freely online. It becomes real when you meet a mother whose
\nteenage son, the same age as your own, fell under the spell of the so called Islamic
\nState online, travelled to Syria to fight and was killed. It becomes real when you meet
\nwith parents whose daughter, after being exposed to online self-harm groups, is in
\nhospital again because she can\u2019t stop hurting herself.<\/p>\n

I too was once a web utopian believing that connected humanity would create a better
\nsociety. But whilst we fixated on all the wonderful things that the internet would do, we
\nnever thought about the things it would undo. How it would fundamentally transform
\nchildhood in just one generation.<\/p>\n

When the first generation of digital natives came of age, we were amazed at how
\nquickly they felt at home with the internet. We were surprised at how comfortable they
\nwere swiping objects on their tablets and smartphones. We scratched our heads as they
\nshared too much with perfect strangers. But we said to ourselves – no need to be
\nalarmed. After all – each new medium ushers a wave of new behaviors and our parents
\ncomplained how much time we spent in front of the television. We thought the kids
\nwould be alright.<\/p>\n

Well, the kids aren\u2019t alright. Because the thing they\u2019re carrying in their pockets, the thing
\nthey sleep with under their pillows, isn\u2019t just new kind of medium like TV was. It\u2019s a
\nmedium that subsumes every other medium. This generation\u2019s life experience has been
\nprofoundly shaped by the smartphone and the rise of social media. And if you chart this
\nrise with data that\u2019s been collected since the 1960s about children\u2019s behaviours and
\nattitudes you see something really alarming: this so called \u201ciGeneration\u201d is sleeping
\nless, going out less, dating less and postponing behaviours that for decades marked the
\ntransition to adulthood.<\/p>\n

Social media gives them illusion of being connected, with \u201cfriends\u201d at their fingertips,
\nwhereas in reality the true connection they crave, one that resonates deeply enough to
\nnourish and support them, is not accessible within this virtual space. Nevertheless, they
\ntry. They are addicted and they go back again and again, sometimes every free minute
\nbut with little satisfaction. And when they are alone, they have a fear of missing out.<\/p>\n

The shift in how young people spend their time isn\u2019t neutral. It\u2019s negative. An increase in
\nscreen time has been directly correlated with unhappiness. In fact, research shows two hours of screen time increases risk factors for suicide and depression.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a common belief in internet circles that the products we love and use everyday
\nare inherently good. And this belief comes from a good place. I know that because I
\nhave worked side by side with some of the greatest minds in the industry for over 25
\nyears. And without exception, they are principled and well-meaning. They care about
\nthe future and they want to make it a better place for everyone.<\/p>\n

But evil has access to all of the same technology tools that we do. And when the scale
\nof these products reaches nearly half of the world\u2019s population, you don\u2019t just connect
\nwith good people you connect with the bad people too.<\/p>\n

Smartphones, social media and communications apps are one size fits all. And there is
\nno specific provision for the unique needs of young people who are not ready to take on
\nthe responsibilities of their actions or to understand the realities of the human condition
\nthey are exposed to when connected to the internet.<\/p>\n

If a child\u2019s first lesson in sexual education is a pornographic video, then this will become
\ntheir reference point. These videos don\u2019t simply feature two adults having sex. They
\ndepict loveless misogynistic interactions, replete with verbal and physical abuse. When
\nyou think about the allure of this material, its addictive power and an unlimited supply
\nonline, you can imagine the impact on a young person just discovering his or her
\nsexuality.<\/p>\n

Pornographers aren\u2019t the only ones who have tools to create lasting impressions on
\nchildren. The accessibility and reach of dangerous fringe views online are manipulating
\nthe minds of young people. These attitudes are facilitated and reinforced
\nalgorithmically. Young people, like all of us, naturally self-select what they want to read
\nand engage with and in so doing, get trapped in filter bubbles that reinforce bias,
\nprejudice and misinformation in a dangerous cycle.<\/p>\n

Young people are open and susceptible to influences online where they are not
\nmonitored or supervised. Today children are groomed for sexual abuse online by
\npeople they have never met and would never have come in contact with if it weren\u2019t for
\nthe internet. They are coerced into producing sexually explicit images of themselves.
\nOffenders connect with other offenders online. They share their disgusting tactics,
\nstrategies and their devastating acts of abuse. They pay to watch the live-streaming of
\nchildren being sexually abused all over the world using anonymous access and cryptocurrency
\nmechanisms to obfuscate their identities and crimes.<\/p>\n

Society cannot turn a blind eye. This must stop. We must understand that what is
\nhappening right now is beyond anything we\u2019ve ever witnessed. Some of our esteemed
\ncolleagues have called the internet the \u201cgreatest social experiment in history\u201d and they
\nare not wrong. But when the experiment unfolds in front of our eyes, and when its
\nsubjects are our children, we cannot be simple spectators.<\/p>\n

My own realisation began just over a decade ago. The year was 2006 and I was the
\nPresident of Bebo, one of the earliest social networks. With tens of millions of young
\nusers on the platform, we started seeing an epidemic of cases of child grooming.
\nPaedophiles under the cover of anonymity interacting with unsuspecting young people
\nen masse. And I myself began to see things in a different light. I had no idea the
\npotential harms to our children that would be facilitated by the products we created. And
\nonce I saw it, I couldn\u2019t un-see it.<\/p>\n

We began working diligently with the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection
\nCentre, the FBI, Interpol and the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
\nto address incidents one by one. But over time, the stream became a torrent and we
\nrealised that this problem was not confined to one network – it was a global problem; a
\nproblem with no boundaries, no clear lines of responsibility for solving it.<\/p>\n

Governments and law enforcement struggled too as the perpetrators were located
\nbeyond their borders and crime-fighting infrastructures were deeply rooted in a local and
\nphysical response. Industry became increasingly challenged, reverting to a crisis
\nmanagement construct and addressing incidents as they happened vs being proactive.<\/p>\n

In 2013, then Prime Minister David Cameron asked me to lead a US-UK technology
\ntask force that would focus on taking immediate and long-lasting steps to curtail online
\nchild sexual exploitation. Working together with the best and brightest minds in the tech
\nindustry to tackle the \u201cunsolvable\u201d problems we face in partnership \u2013 a radically
\ndifferent approach. An approach that would see government, law enforcement and
\nprivate sector experts working together to eliminate the practices that were eroding the
\nvery foundations of what every child deserves \u2013 to be safe.<\/p>\n

Within months we saw the art of the possible take shape. We were able to achieve a
\nnumber of breakthrough results. Microsoft\u2019s PhotoDNA technology was adopted
\nindustry wide and completely transformed our ability to find and remove images of child
\nsexual abuse wherever they appear on the web. The Internet Watch Foundation took on
\nthe challenge of being the intermediary and clearinghouse of digital hashes performing
\na vital service it continues to provide today to industry, government and law
\nenforcement. Google began the process of altering its search algorithms to prevent
\nchild sexual abuse images and video from appearing in results, to remove them at scale
\nand to break links to peer to peer networks hosting this illegal material. Visa, Mastercard
\nand others financial service providers worked to eradicate the purchase of child abuse
\nimagery through mainstream payment systems. And an innovative new NGO, Thorn
\nwas founded and launched in California to develop a comprehensive technology
\nresponse to the heinous crimes of child sexual exploitation and trafficking.<\/p>\n

These initiatives and many others have made great progress in the fight to stop online
\nabuse but the tools and tactics of these criminals are not static. They are constantly
\nmorphing and changing and thus any technology solution, no matter how sophisticated
\nmust continue to evolve in response to the threats.<\/p>\n

This fight has become a life mission for me. In 2014, inspired by the results achieved by
\nthe task force, I founded an organisation called WePROTECT. What underpins the strategy
\nof WePROTECT is that it takes us all to fight this kind of evil online. To eradicate online
\nchild sexual exploitation requires a multi-stakeholder approach. We leverage the power
\nof technology to rescue victims, thwart criminals and bring perpetrators to justice.<\/p>\n

With the support of Prime Minister Theresa May and the leaders of over 70
\ngovernments, law enforcement, tech companies and NGOs, we are making progress
\nand we will never stop until every child can use the internet without fear, intimidation,
\nabuse or exploitation.<\/p>\n

In 2016, WePROTECT merged with the Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse
\nOnline, led by the US Justice Deptartment and the EU Commission. Today, the combined
\nentity, the WePROTECT Global Alliance represents a unified movement with a mission
\nto empower everyone with a responsibility to protect children online. And supported by a
\ncommitment of 50M from the government of the United Kingdom, WePROTECT
\nlaunched the Fund to End Violence Against Children in partnership with UNICEF and in
\nsupport of 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals ratified by all member states with
\na target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and
\ntorture of children.<\/p>\n

WePROTECT demonstrates the vital importance of a \u2018coalition of the willing\u2019 to work
\ntogether to protect children in the digital world but another vital aspect of protection is to
\nensure their rights are protected as they grow up digital citizens.<\/p>\n

From the day a child is born they begin leaving a digital footprint \u2013 their medical history,
\ntheir school records, their friendships, interests and moods are collected, analysed and
\neven monetised. As adults, we are aware of the trade-offs when it comes to our personal
\ninformation. When we click accept on online terms and conditions, we may not read the
\ntext but we know we are giving up a lot. But children do not. The unique needs of
\nchildren must be paramount in the development of online products and services. This
\ncannot be an afterthought.<\/p>\n

That is why I am a firm believer, supporter and defender of the 5 Rights Framework
\nwhich takes the existing rights of young people guaranteed by the UN Convention on
\nthe Rights of the Child and updates them for the digital age. These rights which include
\nthe Right to Remove, the Right to Know, the Right to Safety and Support, the Right to
\nInformed and Conscious Choice and the Right to Digital Literacy are non-negotiable and
\nthey must be ensured and protected.<\/p>\n

Internet platforms today have unprecedented insights into our thoughts, opinions,
\nbeliefs, emotions and intentions. In many cases the algorithms that power the
\nsuggestions we see seem to know more about us than we know ourselves.<\/p>\n

For instance, if a young person is depressed or suicidal, then chances are the social
\nnetwork or communications app they are using will have tools to recognise this. Using
\nnatural language processing and machine learning to detect patterns in speech and
\nusage might signal the state of mind or intentions of a child might or indicate that they
\nneed help. Facebook, Instagram and Google have all stated publicly that they have
\nthese capabilities to recognise depression and suicidal tendencies and many other
\npotentially dangerous conditions. That being true, then the question for all of us is if
\nsuch powers exist to measure the moods and emotional state of children; to predict those at risk,
\nshouldn\u2019t we be more proactive with this knowledge?<\/p>\n

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and in this case, we need a new
\nera of cooperation and shared responsibility that puts the needs of children first. We
\nneed to scale our response not incrementally but exponentially because change is the
\nonly constant and the future will deliver orders of magnitude more complexity.<\/p>\n

As challenging as this wave of digital technological change has been, it is only the
\nbeginning. In Yuval Noah Harari\u2019s best seller \u201cHomo Deus\u201d, he talks about a post-human
\nworld where technology enhances human capabilities beyond natural limits to
\ncreate a new form of \u201cHuman\u201d. Today we already have wearable devices, altered
\nvirtual and augmented reality, biomedical implantables, robots and soon, neural lace.<\/p>\n

All these developments come together to help us design a better, faster, stronger,
\nhealthier and more malleable version of ourselves. It all sounds like science fiction but
\nis is closer than you think.<\/p>\n

But humans aren\u2019t the only malleable component in the future. Technology too is
\nmorphing and changing in response to whatever stimuli or data it is presented.<\/p>\n

Specifically, Artificial Intelligence has in the past few years begun to evolve in ways we
\ncannot always anticipate. So much so that a few weeks ago, over 100 global experts
\nwrote to the UN, urging it to protect us from the development of autonomous weapons.
\n\u201cWe do not have long to act,\u201d their open letter reads. \u201cOnce this Pandora\u2019s box is
\nopened, it will be hard to close.\u201d Some experts considered this intervention
\nscaremongering but there is no denying the legitimacy of calling the world\u2019s attention to
\nthese potential risks.<\/p>\n

So you take a step-change in the evolution of engineering and science and you couple it
\nwith our increasing symbiosis with technology and you get a very uncertain future. A
\nfuture in which the essence of humanity, our moral compass and ethics, could be
\nundermined. Note that I say \u201ccould be undermined\u201d; the future is not fixed and that is
\nwhy we have come together for this Congress.<\/p>\n

The cultural critic Neil Postman said in the late 90\u2019s that \u201conce a technology is admitted
\n(in society), it plays out its hand; it does what it is designed to do, that \u201cwhen we admit
\na new technology to the culture, we must do so with our eyes wide open.\u201d As we
\nembrace this brave new world, the dignity, safety and health of our children cannot be
\nan afterthought. It has to be our first thought.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis in his recent TED talk stated that the only future worth building includes
\neveryone. I agree wholeheartedly, and I would add that the only future worth building is
\none that protects everyone. There are times in life when how we act as a global
\ncommunity defines us. This is one of those times. Every young life damaged as a result
\nof the digital revolution is a tragedy. And when these lives are taken together, it\u2019s our
\ncollective failure.<\/p>\n

Though these problems are immense, I believe we can make progress. But doing so
\nrequires a new kind of thinking, a new kind of approach. Because what we are
\nexperiencing has not happened before in history. There are no true parallels. We must
\nunite in our resolve. The progress we make together will determine the future of over 1
\nbillion children who suffer abuse and violence in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n

The Child Dignity in the Digital World Congress offers us an unprecedented opportunity to
\nwork together to gain new wisdom and to transform this newly found knowledge into
\ntangible action. Let\u2019s embrace this opportunity wholeheartedly, because there\u2019s one
\nquestion that we all have to answer, and that question is: \u201cwhen our time is up, have we
\ndone enough? \u201d Our answer must be yes! We owe it to ourselves, but especially, we
\nowe it to our children.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baroness Joanna Shields OBE delivered this speech at the Child Dignity in the Digital World Congress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86613\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}