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The education minister, Ed Balls, today committed the government to fully implementing the recommendations of Dr Tanya Bryon's report on child internet safety, including the setting up of a council to oversee industry self-regulation of content.
Balls, the secretary of state for children, schools and families, said the government was "fully committed to implementing the report's recommendations" and would immediately start work on setting up a new UK Council for Child Internet Safety.
However, Balls declined to say how much funding the government would commit to implementing Byron's child internet safety proposals when pressed on the issue of money by journalists at today's launch of the report.
Bryon, speaking at the same event, said the government needed to provide effective funding for a comprehensive education campaign on online and gaming safety to "protect as well as empower children".
She added that the authorities needed to devise a national strategy centred around a specialist council that works with the online industry to encourage self-regulation, as well as "a huge" public information campaign.
"By putting in place the right roles and support for children, young people and families we can reduce much of the anxiety that currently exists by taking a joint and shared responsibility with everyone - industries, government, education, child welfare organisations and law enforcement - playing their part," she said at the report's launch.
"Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe - this isn't just about a top-down approach. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim."
After a six-month review of issues including cyberbullying, violent games and web predators, Bryon has made recommendations including the establishment of a UK Council for Child Internet Safety, a clearer ratings system for video games and a public information campaign to educate parents and children in online safety.
The proposed rating system for video games would use the recognised BBFC symbols U, 12, 15 and 18, but would see the board partnering with Pegi, the existing games rating system, to define each classification.
Byron's review dealt with 650 submissions from the public, including children. The child psychologist and TV presenter explored the concerns of parents and young people alongside academic research into child development, the risks and benefits of new technologies, and systems to prevent minors accessing adult content.
One recommendation proposes strengthening the law against assisting suicides. Byron said the law needed to be clarified and to take "an appropriate enforcement response, just as we do with child abuse sites".
She also suggests that social networking sites monitor discussions and intervene where young users are discussing suicide, for example, providing useful advice and support to people may be looking for help, rather than simply banning the discussion of the subject.
Balls said that during the public consultation for Byron's report, children and parents said they were not given enough information to help them understand online safety issues.
"There's also a view sometimes about the internet that because it is global, virtual and happening around the world, there's nothing we can do about it," he said.
"[The Byron] report makes it clear that there are things we can do, making sure there is protection both for children and parents. We are fully committed to implementing the report's recommendations, and making sure we have the views of parents and children to make it work."
Balls said the review provided "a convincing analysis of how we can properly manage risk" on the internet and would help develop an online environment that would balance safety with the freedom to explore new experiences.
The review will inform prime minister Gordon Brown's national strategy for child internet safety.
Byron said that the state of online safety should be reviewed in 2011 to see if self-regulation has been successful and recommended revisiting her report's recommendations at that time.
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