Safer Internet Day: Kids want tech companies to do more to protect them, but will they?

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Children want better protection online and want tech companies and governments to do more to keep them safe, according to new research released Tuesday.

The survey coincided with Safer Internet Day, a day to raise awareness about a safer and better internet for everyone, especially children.

This follows last week’s US Senate hearing in which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley social media ubermenschen were criticized regarding “Big Tech and the online child sexual exploitation crisis.” There is also a thing.

Research by charity Save the Children and Western Sydney University’s Young and Resilient Research Center shows that children routinely interact with strangers online and are more likely to make inappropriate or unwanted requests. They were shown to be three times more likely to ignore or reject children than children. Report or block.

Approximately 600 children aged 9 to 16 from Australia, Cambodia, Finland, the Philippines, Kenya, South Africa and Colombia took part in the study.

Children are also using their intuition and background checks to manage their online interactions with people they don’t know, and are placing more value on social media companies, rather than asking trusted adults for help. found.

“We recommend that all websites have age restrictions and require proof when entering their age. One message, video, or post can have a huge impact on a child’s mind. So you need to be safe when interacting with strangers online,” said Sophie (her real name not used), a 12-year-old from Australia.

The children surveyed also believed strongly that the government should regulate and hold tech companies accountable.

“Personally, I would like to see the government work with organizations to put in place strict rules for various social media platforms. I would also like to see the government work with organizations to ensure that people who use the internet are aware of the risks online. I want people to be more aware of the underprivileged young people,” said Baraka, a 15-year-old from Kenya (real name withheld).

Steve Miller, Save the Children’s global director of child protection, said the study also found that children are more likely to be abused and exploited online by people they know, and that children are more likely to be abused and exploited online than by sexual abuse. He said it was also found that they often talked about bullying and harassment.

“It’s from your peers, and unlike 10 to 15 years ago, you could leave school and go home. Now it basically follows you into the house,” he said. told Euronews Next.

Miller said the “spectacular” US Congressional hearings were important as people talked about protecting children online, but said it was important for technology companies and the government to work together.

Miller said there is no need to demonize specific companies or individuals who play important roles.

“Globally, there is great inconsistency across the industry in terms of what safety rules are applied and how they are enforced, which is a problem in this increasingly important area. The private sector seems to be setting the boundaries.”

‘Smoke and mirrors’

In Europe, digital services laws can crack down on targeted advertising and promotional content and impose fines on technology companies that fail to remove illegal content.

Congress is currently passing a bill in the United States that would hold social media companies accountable for what is posted on their platforms.

Mr. Zuckerberg apologized for the first time to the parents of children who died after being sexually exploited and harassed on social media, saying, “I want to make sure that our entire industry doesn’t have to go through what your family has to go through.” “We will continue our efforts,” he promised. suffer”.

However, not all social media companies are willing to cooperate with the government. At last week’s Senate hearing, Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zhi Chiu voluntarily agreed to testify, but the heads of Snap, X (formerly Twitter) and messaging platform Discord, among others, initially refused to attend and was served with a government-issued summons.

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“They have no desire to prioritize the safety, health and welfare of children, because if they did, we wouldn’t have to have these hearings,” said Burke Technologies’ chief marketing officer. said Titania Jordan, CEO and Chief Parenting Officer. A kids phone with built-in text and social media monitoring for parents.

Jordan, who is also the author of the book “Parenting in a Tech World,” said he doesn’t believe tech companies have done enough to properly ensure children’s digital safety.

“They are just smoke and mirrors. We should stop waiting for social media companies to put children before profits,” she told Euronews Next.

“We need to stop believing that they will do the right thing. We need to stop believing that they will do the right thing. We need to start advocating for reform.”

She said regulation is important, but “social media lobbyists are the best-funded, they have more money than Big Tobacco, so they don’t know what’s going on in politics.” It’s difficult,” he said. So you’ll never know who was being paid, who was paying lip service and who was actually paying attention. ”

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But it means parents can help by putting pressure on local politicians, she said, adding that the U.S. attorney general’s warning against social media is a big step.

“It’s like dominoes falling. It’s just a matter of how fast it happens,” Jordan said.

What can parents do?

In the meantime, she said parents can help by having frequent and honest conversations with their children about what’s going on in their digital lives while they’re young.

She also advised implementing filters, time limits, and parental controls. Social media monitoring technology that can alert parents to online harassment so they can take action before the problem gets out of hand is also recommended.

Finally, Jordan recommends that parents delay giving their children access to smartphones and social media as much as possible, and that parents join community sites to discuss social media.

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“It’s your job to keep your child safe digitally, just like wearing a seatbelt or sunscreen in real life,” she said.

“Technology is neither good nor bad, but it is a tool. Therefore, children should use it responsibly.”