Digital Confidence: no room for half measures

The Government has recently backed a world-first initiative to accredit public wifi in the UK. Developed by the RDI (Registered Digital Institute), the ‘Friendly Wifi’ scheme aims to provide assurance to parents, children and young people when connected to public hotspots. This is achieved by certifying that inappropriate material has been blocked and that limits have been applied to protect what others can see you doing on your device. The hope is that people begin to make informed choices about the public wifi they use, as well as giving them the option to use an appropriately managed and filtered connection.

Whilst I believe the sentiment is the right one, this is the bare minimum people should expect. When our free O2 Wifi service launched back in 2011, we built in a superior level of content filtering, which ensured all access to illegal, extreme and adult material was blocked from the outset. We were the first in the industry to do this - well before all other large wifi providers - and lead the industry in the levels of content we block. We apply this rigorous standard because, when it comes to protecting children from inappropriate content over a public network, there should be no half measures.

A related issue is the handling of customer data. Information has the power to transform the way we live and sits at the heart of the services that will make Britain truly digital. But the reality is that people are fearful of sharing their information, largely because companies and government haven’t been good at clearly explaining how they both safeguard and use it.

This summer, O2 was the first UK mobile operator to be awarded the GREEN ‘high assurance’ rating by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We led the industry because we take the handling of our customers’ data extremely seriously and regularly review our procedures directly in line with our customers’ needs. We recognise that the pace of change in the digital world is unprecedented and that businesses and government have a responsibility to help people navigate the changing landscape.

Our economy is now a digital economy and digital connectivity is becoming ubiquitous – it is the new oxygen of modern life. But to maximise the opportunity, there needs to be a unified push on security and transparency. We want others to join us in exploring ways to better safeguard and offer control to consumers. Not just by complying with legislation or in meeting a minimum standard, but by going the extra mile to establish trust – for the benefit of citizens and the UK’s ultimate prosperity.