Meeting of the Parliament 02 March 2017
I want all children and young people to be able to benefit from the opportunities that the internet has to offer. However, we must also ensure that they are safe and protected from the risks that can be posed. Richard Lyle may be aware of operation Lattise, which Police Scotland ran last year. The operation identified more than 500 children aged between three and 18 years who were victims or potential victims of online predators, and it recovered 30 million images of abuse. The operation has highlighted the fact that online abuse is a national threat and that the abuse is happening to children of all ages.
In our programme for Scotland, we have committed to publishing a refreshed action plan on internet safety for children and young people, to ensure that appropriate training, support and information are provided. We will publish that action plan in the very near future. In developing the plan, we have worked across the Government and in partnership with Police Scotland, a number of third sector organisations and Education Scotland. We also consulted children and young people.
As part of that work we are in conversation with some of the key social media providers, including Facebook and Twitter. We will continue to engage with them in an effort to ensure that children who use their sites are appropriately protected. We also continue to be represented on the executive board of the Council for Child Internet Safety. In addition, the Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government as it develops the Digital Economy Bill.
I hope that Richard Lyle can be assured that a range of approaches are being taken by the Scottish Government to ensure that children are as safe as they can be online. I am sure that he will take an active interest in the internet safety action plan when it is published.