Enhanced digital intelligence poses potential threats to children and adolescents in cyberspace.
According to jugendschutz.net's annual report, which is backed by both federal and state governments, the internet poses increasingly complex challenges for young individuals. The report highlights that advanced AI technology is making it harder to distinguish between truth and fiction, consequently amplifying risks such as cyberbullying, extreme ideologies, and sexual exploitation.
Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) echoes these concerns, stating that the proliferation of hate speech, inappropriate content, and misinformation online is exacerbated by a lack of consistent adherence to social norms in digital discourse. She places a significant responsibility on platform providers to address these issues.
In 2020, jugendschutz.net dealt with a total of 7,645 cases. The majority of these, approximately two-thirds, involved instances of sexual violence. Twelve percent of the cases dealt with sexually explicit content or pornography, while another 11% centered around political extremism. Five percent of the cases involved self-harm material, while two percent concerned cyberbullying incidents.
When it comes to child or youth pornographic content, or situations that pose a risk to life and limb, jugendschutz.net reports the violations to relevant authorities or platform providers. By the end of the year, about 90% of the reported violations had been successfully removed.
However, Stefan Glaser, head of jugendschutz.net, expresses disappointment that online service providers are not doing enough to safeguard young individuals. He criticizes their inadequate response to reported violations and their lax age verification procedures for users.
The report from jugendschutz.net underscores the rising complexities in online safety, with advanced AI technology contributing to the amplification of risks like cyberbullying and sexual exploitation. Furthermore, Family Minister Lisa Paus emphasizes that the proliferation of these risks is exacerbated by the lack of consistent adherence to social norms in digital discourse, placing a significant responsibility on platform providers to address these issues.
