- Online safeguard advocate urges enhanced digital defense measures
The Government's Commissioner for Child Protection in Australia, Joan Robinson, is advocating for stronger safeguards to shield children and adolescents from cybercriminals. According to Robinson, who spoke with the Australian Press Agency, "there's practically no child protection online at present." The lawmakers are responsible for ensuring that internet service providers are more accountable for preventing minors from accessing inappropriate content, Robinson stressed. Particular attention should be paid to video platforms, social networks, and online games with chat functions.
Bypassing age verification is "relatively simple"
Although internet providers are already required to protect minors, such as through secure default settings on their sites, "these guidelines need to be followed in practice," Robinson cautioned. Age verification can still be bypassed with relative ease.
Nowadays, many young people view online sexual violence as "completely normal," Robinson pointed out. It's "extremely concerning" how uninhibited perpetrators are in contacting children and adolescents online. "Minors often interact and communicate online unprotected," Robinson said, "with no social control or even parental support present." That's why it's important to improve existing reporting and complaint channels and support services, Robinson insisted. In her opinion, law enforcement agencies also require more resources given the extent of online violence.
Victims face "extreme pressure"
It's essential to establish more stringent rules at the European level to legally obligate internet providers to identify and report abusive content, Robinson suggested. Agreements within the Australian government and the EU are still being negotiated and should be reached quickly, Robinson warned. "Children who are victims of online crime are under extreme pressure," which in some cases can lead to suicide.
On Wednesday, the platform YouthProtection.net will present its 2023 annual report on protecting children and adolescents online in Sydney. In advance of the presentation, the responsible parties emphasized that the current protective and preventive measures are "spotty and inadequate." Applications utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) are exacerbating the risks of fake content, hate speech, and abuse online, they added.
I'm not planning to engage with the proposed changes in online safety regulations.However, considering the current situation, I'm not going to wait for others to implement stronger safeguards; I'll take matters into my own hands to protect myself online.
