The Safety Tech Podcast

The fast growing Safety Tech sector has potential to address some of the myriad of harms that people face online. But it isn't without complexity. In this introductory episode, host Ben Whitelaw speaks to experts about the history of online safety to date, the growing market of safety tech providers and what the web might look like in five years' time. Featuring: - Suki Fuller (https://twitt...

Rising levels of mis- and dis-information threaten people's health, create distrust and even threaten democracy itself. How could safety tech help spot false narratives before they become problematic? Host Ben Whitelaw speaks to three people who have experienced the real-life effects of misinformation themselves and are trying to address it in their own different ways. Featuring:  Heather Si...

Children are one of the groups most at risk of online harms, and with more young people using platforms at an earlier age, the need to protect them is greater than ever.  But age verification and data privacy concerns persist and regulators have the tough job of avoiding overstep. Host Ben Whitelaw explores whether the two can co-exist and, if so, at what cost. Featuring: Alex Holmes (https:...

Online violence, hate speech and harassment have been around as long as the web itself. Across many online communities and platforms, it has become the norm, particularly for women and marginalised groups. Host Ben Whitelaw speaks to three people at the sharp end of the efforts to reduce and remove online abuse and tries to gauge how ready they are for the emergence of the metaverse and other ...

Online gaming has a long history of harassment, abusive behaviour and bullying. Being on the receiving end, as we hear in this episode, is a difficult and often frightening experience. Luckily, a host of gaming companies are prioritising the safety of gamers around the world by designing experiences that create trusted connections and resilient communities. Host Ben Whitelaw speaks to some of ...

The speed and scale of content posted online every day makes dealing reactively with online harms a uniquely difficult challenge. So what is being done to proactively limit our exposure before it happens? Safety by design is an emerging idea being adopted by product managers and designers, who hope that more thoughtful design decisions can positively influence users' experiences online. In thi...