Child Protection&Online Safety
02 December 2012
For Children, a Lie on Facebook Has Consequences, Study Finds New York Times
A federal law intended to protect children's privacy may unwittingly lead them to reveal too much on Facebook, a provocative new academic study shows, in the latest example of how difficult it is to regulate the digital lives of minors.
21 November 2012
US Researchers Dispel Myths About Cyberbullying Huffington Post
A lot has been written about cyberbullying and I've seen some articles claiming that cyberbullying is more prevalent and more severe than in-person bullying. Some even refer to it as an "epidemic."
EU and US sign joint declaration to make the internet safer for kids Europa
European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano have today signed a Joint Declaration in London, committing to make the Internet a safer and better place for children.
Pew study: US parents of teens online worry about ads, strangers CNET
Parents are more worried about advertisers having access to their children's online data than about their children talking to strangers online, according to a report published today.
20 November 2012
Australian internet filter backflip is an opportunity lost Australian Financial Review
Deep inside the Australian Communications and Media Authority's Sydney headquarters, behind frosted glass and a security door few staff can open, sit 10 people with the unenviable task of watching child abuse online.
19 November 2012
Social Media: The Digital You & The Social Stalker SimpliSafe
With the explosion of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc., the obstacles that an everyday stalker would have to jump through to get closer to you have been eliminated. The internet gives stalkers a new way to track you, follow you, and research your likes and dislikes.
18 November 2012
UK prime minister 'orders new curbs on internet porn' Sunday Telegraph [UK]
David Cameron has ordered tough new controls on web pornography to protect children, it has been reported.
Australian paedophiles prey on children via webcam Sunday Age
Australian paedophiles are "ordering" south-east Asian children for abuse on webcams, specifying age, gender and acts they want performed, police have revealed.
16 November 2012
The danger lurking in laws to end cyberbullying The Independent
In an attempt to protect people, we risk curbing their right to be offensive, inane, or downright ridiculous. What a boring place Twitter would become.
09 November 2012
Australian Government abandons plans for internet filter ABC News
The Federal Government has abandoned its controversial plan for a mandatory internet filter, five years after it was first promised.
06 November 2012
A Trail of Clicks, Culminating in Conflict New York Times
Washington is pushing Silicon Valley on children’s privacy, and Silicon Valley is pushing back.
30 October 2012
Facebook used to kidnap, traffic Indonesian girls The Age
When a 14-year-old girl received a Facebook friend request from an older man she didn't know, she accepted it out of curiosity. It's a click she will forever regret, leading to a brutal story that has repeated itself as sexual predators find new ways to exploit Indonesia's growing obsession with social media.
24 October 2012
Should children be taught that porn is not real? BBC News
Many teenagers regularly view porn. But does this give them a distorted view of sex and relationships, and is there anything that can be done?
23 October 2012
'Parasitic' porn websites stealing and re-posting sexually explicit images of children and young teenagers The Independent
Pornographic websites are stealing 'self-made' sexually explicit images of children and young teenagers, a leading internet safety organisation said today.
21 October 2012
Self-harm websites top list of teenagers' greatest worries about the internet Independent on Sunday
Charities last night called for the Government to act after new research revealed that websites encouraging suicide and self-harm topped a list of teenagers' greatest worries about the internet. The findings have raised fears that growing numbers of young people are becoming vulnerable to the messages being put out by such sites.
Cyberbullying-linked suicides rising, study says CBC
Cases of suicides linked to cyberbullying have grown over the past decade, but being tormented over the internet is rarely the main factor involved, a new Canadian study shows.
19 October 2012
Paedophiles targeting single mothers online ABC News
Police say a disturbing online trend is emerging where paedophiles are grooming single mothers on internet dating sites in order to get to their children.
18 October 2012
Why cyber-bullying endures: Anonymous cyber-bullies have no empathy to their victims when trolling the internet Al Jazeera
When Amanda Todd was thirteen years old, she met a man on the internet who told her she was beautiful. He was a stranger and she was flattered by the attention. He asked her to take off her clothes, and Amanda, a seventh grader at a Canadian junior high school, flashed her breasts. He said she was "stunning" and "perfect".
ISOC: Children and the Internet Briefing Paper ISOC
The Internet is an increasing part of today's culture, especially for children and youth, for whom schoolwork, online gaming, and social networking are among the most popular activities.
15 October 2012
Cyber-bullies still Canadian target girl, 15, who killed herself The Independent
A teenage girl found hanged after posting a harrowing video on YouTube, describing how she was victimised by cyber-bullies, is still the target of online abuse.
12 October 2012
Japan's child porn addiction The Independent
A nation that openly sexualises youngsters has become the world hub for a dark, booming industry. Now police have decided to tackle the culture of abuse
09 October 2012
Children's health threatened by increasing screen time, says journal The Guardian
By the age of seven, a child born today in the UK will have spent an entire year of 24 hours a day looking at TV, computer and video game screens. By the age of 18, that will be three whole years. According to a review of studies carried out around the world on the effect of screen time on children, they could be seriously damaging their health.
28 September 2012
Pete Townshend speaks out about his child pornography investigation The Independent
Rock legend Pete Townshend has described his decision to investigate the roots of child pornography as "insane".
U.S. Is Tightening Web Privacy Rule to Shield Young New York Times
Federal regulators are about to take the biggest steps in more than a decade to protect children online.
19 September 2012
Food Makers Hook Kids on Mobile Games Wall Street Journal
U.S. snack food companies are reaching children by embedding their products in simple and enticing games for touch-screen phones and tablets, demonstrating how new technology is changing U.S. commerce.
