Although there is already material evidence on the types of serious harms individuals encounter online, there still remain a number of emerging harms, where the evidence base is still yet to mature (e.g. epilepsy trolling, online animal abuse). SOH would like to close this significant gap in understanding the impact of encountering different types of serious harms online and understanding the best approaches to measuring the impact of the Online Safety legislation.
SOH highlights the importance of Media Literacy in the digital age and asks for further studies to uncover barriers to engagement as well as the effectiveness of DSIT programmes. This issue closely relates to Counter-Disinformation interventions, which requires evidence for its effect on bystanders, topic specific disinformation and what tools can be used to combat this issue.
Research on Safety Technology would greatly develop SOH’s understanding of the relationship that DSIT online safety objectives have with the technology market today. A primary focus lands on improving Age Assurance (AA) measures. This includes ensuring transparency and assessing opportunities for the sector.
If you are keen to register your interest in working and connecting with DSIT Digital Technology and Telecoms Group and/or submitting evidence, then please complete the DSIT-ARI Evidence survey - https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cDfmK2OukVAnirs.
Please view full details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology-areas-of-research-interest/dsit-areas-of-research-interest-2024
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
We are increasingly in the grips of an information epidemic, which the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic - and the spread of health misinformation online along with rising distrust of experts - has only served to highlight with ...
Funded by: AHRC
Lead research organisation: University of Glasgow
The project focuses on understanding the impact of encountering different types of serious harms online and the best approaches to measuring the impact of online safety legislation.
The rapid growth of social media platforms such as Twitter has had a significant impact on the way people can connect and communicate instantaneously with others. The content that users put onto social media platforms ca...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Oxford
The project addresses the spread of misinformation online, the impact on events, and the need for responsible governance of social media.
Over the past decade, we have witnessed major transformations in access to digital media platforms in Europe. However, navigating this digitally mediated world can be challenging as it requires operational, social, conte...
Funded by: AHRC
Lead research organisation: London School of Economics and Political Science
The project focuses on media literacy and digital skills, which are related to understanding and combating online misinformation, but does not directly address the impacts of online mis/disinformation.