New watchdog to protect children on the web

Children will be protected from suicide websites, bullying and pornography by a new internet watchdog, the UK government said.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said it will be the biggest coalition of public and private bodies set up to safeguard young people online.

It will teach them about possible dangers, target illegal sites that contain harmful content and establish a code of conduct for sites that allow people to post their own video clips or messages.

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) will tackle violent games and promote responsible advertising online.

"We are determined to do all we can to ensure that the internet environment is safe for children to use," she said in a statement ahead of the watchdog's launch in central London.

Reporting directly to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, its 100 members include BT, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Vodafone.

Ministers have come under pressure to do more to tackle violent video games, bullying and sites that appear to glamorise suicide.

In March, a report for the government by psychologist Tanya Byron included a range of measures to protect children, including a call to set up a child safety council. Her review is online at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/byronreview/.

"The council will be a powerful union of some of our key players giving support to parents and guidance to children," she said.

Cultures Secretary Andy Burnham said the watchdog would help ensure that "what is unacceptable offline should not be acceptable online."