Hyslop Joins Campaign to Promote Safer Internet Day

Hyslop Joins Campaign to Promote Safer Internet Day

West Lothian Primary Schools to be Removed from Stranger Snapchat Search

Local Constituency MSP Fiona Hyslop has joined the campaign to boost internet safety for young people – after pressure from SNP MSPs Kevin Stewart and Gillian Martin led to Snapchat removing primary schools from their search function.

Marking Safer Internet Day, Fiona backed this action and called on Snapchat to go further and also remove secondary schools from its search tool – which allows strangers to find and watch videos from these locations. Fiona is also encouraging pupils in West Lothian to take part in a nationwide film competition that aims to raise awareness of the dangers related to sending nude photos online.

Fiona commented;

“I appreciate the efforts made by my SNP MSP colleagues Gillian Martin and Kevin Stewart that have made Snapchat safer for children across West Lothian – and I hope that Snapchat go even further and remove secondary schools as well.

“Staying safe online is so important and parents should speak with their children to make sure they understand the risks of posting certain information.

“The upcoming nationwide film competition is a great initiative that gives children across the constituency the opportunity to engage with these dangers in a creative manner and Tuesday’s (6th Feb) Parliamentary debate brings this issue to the forefront and highlights the increasing risks when sharing personal information online.

“I am pleased to be involved in the campaign to raise awareness of this serious issue and feel we must all do what we can to help protect our children when it comes to their online activity.”

ENDS