Author Archives: John Carr

About John Carr

John Carr is one of the world's leading authorities on children's and young people's use of digital technologies. He is Senior Technical Adviser to Bangkok-based global NGO ECPAT International, Technical Adviser to the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online, which is administered by Save the Children Italy and an Advisory Council Member of Beyond Borders (Canada). Amongst other things John is or has been an Adviser to the United Nations, ITU, the European Union, the Council of Europe and European Union Agency for Network and Information Security and is a former Board Member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety. He is Secretary of the UK's Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety. John has advised many of the world's largest internet companies on online child safety. In June, 2012, John was appointed a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. More: http://johncarrcv.blogspot.com

The questions to be asked in Brussels

Posted on December 3, 2020

Crunch time approaches in Brussels. Members of the LIBE Committee and later the plenary need to focus on the following questions: When the GDPR was making its way through the European Instistitions do you think the co-legislators expressly intended to … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Internet governance, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation

Privacy warriors arrive late

Posted on November 20, 2020

Governments and legislators stood by and watched for years while the internet exploded, bringing in its wake huge benefits but also several downsides, particularly for children. “Permissionless Innovation” was the watchword. We even created special legal immunities to help things … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Default settings, Internet governance, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The wisdom of Max Schrems

Posted on November 18, 2020

I met Max Schrems at a seminar in a law school in the USA last year. He opened his remarks by saying in preparing his comments for the seminar he tried to talk to lawyers in the privacy community who … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Default settings, E-commerce, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation | Tagged | 2 Comments

Don’t be a child in Europe

Posted on November 12, 2020

Yesterday the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published an opinion on the European Commission’s proposal for a temporary suspension of parts of the e-Privacy Directive of 2002. It is a weak Opinion, riddled with error. The good points the EDPS … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Joy tinged with anger

Posted on November 11, 2020

At 5.00.a.m. today the Head of Instagram published a blog entitled “An important step towards better protecting our community in Europe”.  There is much that is important and of interest in Facebook’s blog so please read it but here, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Default settings, Facebook, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation

Nuremberg and the internet

Posted on November 2, 2020

Many people who read “East West Street” by Philippe Sands QC, may have been surprised to learn it was the horrors of the Second World War which propelled the international community – as represented by politicians, mainly elected ones – … Continue reading →

Posted in Child abuse images, Default settings, E-commerce, Internet governance, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation

I am not going to say “I told you so”

Posted on October 24, 2020

I generally find it extremely irritating when people turn to me and, usually with a smug look, say “I told you so,” so that won’t happen here. With little additional comment I will merely draw your attention to a report … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

In Parliament

Posted on October 9, 2020

On Wednesday in a “Westminster Hall “debate MPs discussed the seemingly ever-upcoming Online Harms Bill. The fact that this debate happened at all was down to the energetic engagement of Holly Lynch the Member of Parliament for Halifax, West Yorkshire. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

Kids can’t pay for the truth

Posted on October 1, 2020

In many countries advertising revenues were vital in helping keep “old-fashioned” newspapers and other types of journals alive, particularly smaller, local ones. Typically these would be in printed form but they all soon had an online counterpart. In addition there … Continue reading →

Posted in Default settings, E-commerce, Privacy, Regulation, Self-regulation

Let’s not make TWO mistakes

Posted on September 27, 2020

Nobody had spotted it. The European Commission openly acknowledged an error had been made. If left uncorrected it would bring to an end measures which have been protecting kids since 2009. On 10th September the Commission published a proposal.  It … Continue reading →

Posted in Default settings, E-commerce, Facebook, Google, Regulation, Self-regulation