Mon 22 Jul our speaker on Zoom was Cosima Wiltshire. She is an amazing young woman, who has been working on online safety since she was 13! Make a note of her name, because we feel sure you will be hearing more from her in the future. You can view her presentation by clicking on this link Cosima Presentation. As we suspected this event proved popular and we had Soroptimist guests from as far away as Cornwall and Perthshire!
The event was recorded and you can click on this link to watch her presentation: https://youtu.be/DkqZz_cX-QI.
Here are some notes that were taken at the event – they are only a summary:
Cosima introduced herself: she’s 18 and just finished her A levels and hopes to go to UCL in September. She said she would be talking about meaningful youth engagement and safety online. She started working in the field at age 13 through the charity Childnet. She was part of the Digital Leaders project and studied modules to learn about digital safety and learned to teach her peers plus older students.
Through this she applied for the role of Digital Champion and was appointed in 2019. She sits on the Child and Digital Safety Board working with other organisations such as Stonewall and others to develop safer digital platforms to improve safety for young people using apps such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, etc.
Safer Internet Day is the first Tuesday in February and Cosima has been involved in this since 2020, including TV appearances. She spoke to MPs at the Houses of Parliament as part of the development of the Online Safety Act.
She is really passionate of increasing youth engagement. Children make up about 20% of the population and their voice can be really powerful when they speak up because they are the future. She has been involved in Torchbearers which works on sustainability.
She was commissioned to write a report for digital organisations such as Snapchat. This led to an introduction of supervision mode allowing parents the ability to see and monitor apps used by their children and young people.
Cosima talked about the development of tools that identify when digital content has been altered (photoshopped). This includes images online and other modifications that can be made with AI (Artificial Intelligence) or manually with other tools.
Regulation of the online world
Cosima has been working on this recently and the Online Safety Act was passed in 2020 after lots of scrutiny from both MPs and the House of Lords. The Act recognised that developments in AI and other digital technology would need to be allowed for and was also conscious that while protecting the rights of young people that they didn’t infringe on the rights of others. The internet also transcends physical boundaries so it’s important now that other countries also introduce their own regulations.
Once the Act was passed apps needed to comply with the regulations. Platforms need to be safe for young people and they are often the first to suffer.
She also visited the United Nations in New York – her work is tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals numbers 1 (No Poverty) , 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Q&A
How does a parent access the additional safety settings
Go to help station (such as on Instagram) and look at privacy and security settings. Childnet also has information and guidance. Ofcom also have been placed in the position of regulating and enforcing the Act.
What at your key influencing techniques and your proudest achievement so far?
Contextualising with examples of the issues, not being patronising and building on people’s existing knowledge. Proudest moment hard to decide, work with UN and interviewing MPs about the Digital Safety Act.
Who are your gurus?
She said that people she looks up to are Jameela Jamil for her words on taking chances irrespective of potential for failure and the women in charge of my school – namely Ms Rachel Bailey and Miss Jennie Simmonite for the example they set in regards to work ethic and teaching people in a considerate manner.
How find time for this work and school work?
She has been given time by the school and she says she doesn’t mind using her leisure time because the work is challenging and rewarding.
Experience of talking with government and ministers.
She has generally found a willingness to listen and they know that they are talking to a future voters. She tries to come from the angle that she wants to help and not on the attack.
What can Soroptimist’s do to help with this issue?
Sharing resources and advocating for the value of online safety.
Question about failing platforms who aren’t doing enough to protect children online.
Some platforms slower than others. Snapchat was lagging behind, Tiktok have some work and measures in the US but slow in the UK. Meta have been more receptive but have had issues in creating the right changes and implementing them effectively.
At the end Soroptimist Sarah Lichman thanked Cosima, saying how impressed she has been with all Cosima has achieved at her young age. She thanked Cosima for spending time with the Club and sharing her experiences.
There were lots of positive messages thanking Cosima in the Zoom Chat.
Cosima’s chosen charity for any donations is “Live Luke’s Dreams”, -a charity set up by a family friend after her son, Luke who was taken too soon by leukaemia. The charity works to support young people receiving cancer treatment under Barnet Hospital’s Paediatric Oncology Shared Care. She was keen to point out that there is no pressure to donate. If you want any information please click on “Contact Us” on this website, or email sistalbans@hotmail.com.