Category Archives: Online Safety
FTC Finds Explicit Content In The Virtual Worlds: Are Children Protected?
24 December 2009no responsesUsha
Parents can no longer trust child-oriented virtual worlds as being a safe haven for their children online. Federal officials have recently declared that parents have to play a more active role in their kids’ virtual lives. They said that a majority of these worlds failed to adequately protect children from explicit sexual and violent content.
In fact, this study has been congressionally mandated with the Congress tasking the FTC with looking into this matter.
The resulting report released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) analyzing the policies and content of 27 virtual worlds revealed a lot of interesting information. The commission found 70% of the virtual worlds allowing access to objectionable material.
The researchers investigating on behalf of the agency registered in these virtual worlds as children, teens and adults. They then recorded the explicitness of the content they found in those places by identifying it as low, moderate or heavy.
The FTC found at least one instance of either violence or sexually explicit content in 19 of the 27 virtual worlds they investigated. Five of the virtual worlds were graded as displaying heavy amount of explicit content, four offered moderate amount, and ten showed lesser amount of explicit content. Continue Reading →
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Wikipedia A Thief?
18 August 20092 responsesHasan
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, is without a doubt accepted as one of the most amazing sources of information on the internet. This is where people turn to for any information they need. The English language version was brought out in 2001 and has experienced great popularity since then.
But over the years, Wikipedia has had its share of controversies. There have been academics who deemed suspect some entries, as it is an encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. Many feel that just as too many cooks spoil the broth, too many contributors/editors can also confuse the information.
Wikipedia has fought many battles and the latest one is from Britain’s famous art gallery’s website, “National Portrait Gallery (NPG).” They have threatened to take legal action as they claim that images from their website have been uploaded to Wikipedia. In response to this, the online encyclopedia has accused the National Portrait Gallery of betraying its public service mission.
An image of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I looks on amusingly from the art gallery and now also the Wikipedia pages, as the two adversaries battle for rights hundreds of years after she was painted. The fact is that 3,300 high-resolution images from the gallery have been uploaded to Wikipedia in April, by a Ph.D. student and volunteer from Seattle, Derrick Coetzee, and the gallery is not too happy with that.
The gallery founded in 1856 said it needs to recoup the 1 million pounds cost of digitalization program and threatened legal action. The gallery has ordered a well-known law firm to sue Coetzee unless the pictures are removed. Gallery officials say that although, the portraits are not in copyright, the photographs are and that they spent around £1m to create high resolution images, which therefore require a license fee. They say Wikipedia has not responded to their letters. Continue Reading →
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Uploading Crime Videos?
11 December 2007one responseHasan
The online sensation of the year, YouTube, has opened the door for all kinds of opportunities. From joining with CNN to allow voters to directly pose questions to presidential candidates, to allowing students to view class lectures when they can’t physically make it to class, YouTube and other online video sites can also have some negative effects.
For many people, these sites are a monumental waste of time. For others who are videoed and posted without their knowledge or consent, they are a source of embarrassment and anger. For a few others, online videos may be a cause for arrest or even evidence in a criminal trial.
The Motive
Typically, hoaxers and vandals want to work invisibly, but have the results of their work highly visible, to be “appreciated” by all. They may consider their work art, such as some graffiti artists, or may think what they have done is funny, and want all their friends, and even strangers, to be able to join in on the “joke.” All too often, these pranks are dangerous to the participants, the victims, the cameraman, and bystanders, and on occasion, what began as a joke turns into a serious calamity.
Alerting Authorities
While it is never the intention of the person posting the video online, viewers sometimes recognize the danger or the illegality of the actions caught on video and authorities are alerted. In general, police are tipped off by viewers about a suspicious video, and aren’t seeking out videos of illegal activities on their own.
Some do, however. One California Police Lieutenant asserted that police officers stationed at middle and high schools routinely search popular sites such as MySpace and YouTube for criminal activity such as drug or alcohol use, vandalism, or sexual assault. Continue Reading →
For many people, these sites are a monumental waste of time. For others who are videoed and posted without their knowledge or consent, they are a source of embarrassment and anger. For a few others, online videos may be a cause for arrest or even evidence in a criminal trial.
The Motive
Typically, hoaxers and vandals want to work invisibly, but have the results of their work highly visible, to be “appreciated” by all. They may consider their work art, such as some graffiti artists, or may think what they have done is funny, and want all their friends, and even strangers, to be able to join in on the “joke.” All too often, these pranks are dangerous to the participants, the victims, the cameraman, and bystanders, and on occasion, what began as a joke turns into a serious calamity.
Alerting Authorities
While it is never the intention of the person posting the video online, viewers sometimes recognize the danger or the illegality of the actions caught on video and authorities are alerted. In general, police are tipped off by viewers about a suspicious video, and aren’t seeking out videos of illegal activities on their own.
Some do, however. One California Police Lieutenant asserted that police officers stationed at middle and high schools routinely search popular sites such as MySpace and YouTube for criminal activity such as drug or alcohol use, vandalism, or sexual assault. Continue Reading →
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Keep Your Child Safe Online
31 May 2007no responsesHasan
Despite the warnings and training offered to parents, more children than ever are hopping online without correct supervision. Unfortunately, many of the unethical webmasters who like to target these young visitors with ads, pop-ups and inappropriate content hear the same messages as parents and quickly find ways around firewalls and blocking software parents install.
So what’s a parent to do? If the bad guys know all the tricks the good guys know, is there any tool left for parents in the fight to protect their children? The answer is a resounding – YES!
Parental Supervision
The number one diversionary tactic parents can use to protect their children online has little to do with a particular website or brand of software. If parents simply monitor what their children are doing online, many problems would be diverted. Of course there are terrific websites and online options available to aid in this supervision, and parents should explore all of their supervision options fully. Continue Reading →
So what’s a parent to do? If the bad guys know all the tricks the good guys know, is there any tool left for parents in the fight to protect their children? The answer is a resounding – YES!
Parental Supervision
The number one diversionary tactic parents can use to protect their children online has little to do with a particular website or brand of software. If parents simply monitor what their children are doing online, many problems would be diverted. Of course there are terrific websites and online options available to aid in this supervision, and parents should explore all of their supervision options fully. Continue Reading →
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