Children are often at the forefront of using technology but they must also be protected from online dangers.
That was the resounding message this week in the House of Lords at the APPG Metaverse and Web 3.0 meeting conducted in collaboration with the Children’s Parliament APPG.
33 primary school children from Saint Pierre School and St. Michael’s school in Leigh on Sea, Essex and Childs Hill School, Farnham Primary School, Sudbury Primary School, Chadwell Heath Academy, Farnam Green Primary School, St. Peter’s Primary School, Dollis Primary School and William Brook Primary School Academy in the East End, London grilled and heard from industry experts.
These included Ashleigh Ainsley from Colorintech; Simone Vibert from Internet Matters; Tara Collingwoode-Williams from Goldsmiths University of London and Tim Scott, Director of Public Policy at Roblox.
Rt Hon Damian Collins MP, who chaired the Joint Select Committee on Online Safety gave a keynote speech to the children and fielded questions. Ai-Da, the robot beamed in via video link to speak with the kids.
Eleven-year-old Harry Acheampong, Interim Children’s Parliament Prime Minister, was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Baroness Uddin, who co-chaired the meeting with Children’s Parliament Parliamentary champion, Anna Firth MP.
No 10 Downing Street responded to Harry’s invitation to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to join the Metaverse debate saying: “The Prime Minister understands the importance of programmes through the Metaverse and Web 3.0 becoming increasingly more vital for user experiences to be safe, secure and efficient.”
Baroness Uddin put the challenge to Roblox’s Director of Public Policy, to put the Children’s Parliament on Roblox. To date, the Wakelet Microsoft 365 Children’s Parliament has conducted four virtual chambers via a giant MS Teams environment. Young people sit on virtual green benches and debate the topics that matter from online safety, climate change and knife crime.
Harry Acheampong subsequently supported the challenge and said: “The Web 2.0 Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament should now swiftly head into the Web3.0 Metaverse on Roblox – but first it must be made properly safe.”
Children must be kept safe as online technology advances, the politicians of the future said yesterday.
“Like every technology, the metaverse comes with risks,” said Harry.
“The invention of the internet came with great opportunities and risks, such as online bullying, harassment, internet fraud, and child grooming. We should not walk into the dark with this technology.
“Regulators should ensure that the metaverse is properly regulated to keep children safe.”
Baroness Uddin added: “This important event provided a unique opportunity to hear directly from children about their insights, ideas, and experiences, empowering them to shape and lead the future of technology.”
Anna Firth, who took over his Southend West seat from the late Sir David Amess, said: “Children are our future, so it’s vital their voices are heard on how best to democratise the internet and design the safest, yet most creative, democratic, future collective virtual space.”
