Overhyped Fear Of Child Predators Leading To Real Concerns About Child Privacy
from the funny-how-that-works dept
Once again, we have a situation of unintended consequences due to politicians trying to make headlines for "protecting the children." As you probably know, the press and politicians have been pushing for a bit of a moral panic over the idea that kids are at great risk from predators online. The truth is that the risk has been blown way out of proportion. Most child abductions come in cases where the abductor knew the child, and most children know better than to talk to random strangers online. Yet, because of all the scary articles in the press, plenty of politicians went around demanding that various social networks put in place age verification systems in order to "protect" the children. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal led the charge in insisting that predators on social networks was a huge problem.Of course, now that the social networks have started putting in place age verification systems, child safety experts are realizing that this actually creates some serious privacy issues, most likely bigger than any threat of predators. The various companies that are providing age verification tools are building up databases of info on children, and many of them are using that info to market stuff specifically to children. So, now, rather than being mostly anonymous online, various marketers have a bunch of info -- including name, age, address, school and gender -- that they wouldn't have access to otherwise.
And, of course, even though he's partly responsible for this turn of events, Richard Blumenthal is quite upset. After first claiming that he's only just been hearing about such privacy issues, he claims:
"The attorneys general would be very concerned about using age verification to promote marketing or any other kinds of promotional pitches or gimmicks aimed at specific age groups. Targeted marketing may have its place, but it should not be coupled with the issue of childhood safety."Perhaps he should have thought of that before demanding that social networks hire companies to collect that kind of information.
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Filed Under: age verification, child predators, moral panic, privacy
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Protect the Children from the Representatives
"Foley chaired the House caucus on missing and exploited children and was credited with writing the sexual-predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which Bush signed in July. A photo on the White House Web site shows Foley among those attending the signing ceremony."
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Re: Protect the Children from the Representatives
We Distort, You Accept Without Questioning.
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The flip side of all these stupid verification systems
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Re: The flip side of all these stupid verification systems
Whether you do the non-secure but fast and simple of a text file* with the plaintext passwords to copy/paste from, or look into software that manages logins for you, or possibly a fingerprint swipe reader.
Probably wouldn't suggest doing plaintext password file on the machine, in terms of your daughter ending up thinking this is 'good security behaviour/practises' in future.
Fingerprint reader might be an interesting solution, especially if you could set up the machine for requiring you or spouse to do an initial login / 'allowed to be on the computer right now' verification, and then her verification that she wants to use her computer / log in to her site logins to play and learn.
** Maybe on a small flash drive on your keychain, or a drive modded into a locket for her to wear.
I've been wanting for ages to play around with modding flash drives into wearables at more reasonable price points, but not had a specific project to work on. If you would be interested, feel free to get in touch with me.
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Re: Re: The flip side of all these stupid verification systems
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Data
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There are a number of people who would love to have a E-Mail / Social Network connection. Some are located just a few miles from here. Unfortunately all of them are looking at the wrong end of daises but what else can they do. But! Still they need a e-Mail address how else can they receive their e-Mail? So people just do the neighborly thing and help them out by providing them with one. Seems only right. To bad the post office has a hard time with their mail but you know how government is; they never get anything right.
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Save the children
In my opinion this goes back to the whole "parenting" thing. Parents need to understand and educate their children of why not to give out any info, pics, etc to really anybody, even if they know them in person, if they know them in person, give it to them in person (stop fakers). As security experts say the "weakest security system, is the most sophisticated sytem". Get back to the basics and tell your kids why, how come, the if and or buts, and potenial dangers of not following the guide lines. Like Mike said "So, now, rather than being mostly anonymous " they should just stay anonymous and don't give anyone the chance to identify them, or the chance to potenially harm them.
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child laws
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It may end up - probably will end up being more of a problem than a solution.
But that's the way of government. Hype a problem, that's not really a problem, then offer a solution; that's not really a solution. And then demand more tax money to pay for it.
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RE: Remember pen and paper, people?
It helps keep her organized, and it is yet another way for me to keep track of her Web doings. (I have a copy of her book as well, with dates and hits I compile from the parent monitoring software we installed.) Am I overdoing it? Probably. But she's my kid, and that is my job. Not the government's, not big industry's. MINE. And I take it seriously.
Will this get harder as she gets older? Undoubtedly. But we are trying to educate her in how to be safe, how to be savvy -- trying to lay the groundwork for her to be a conscious, intelligent Internet user.
Wish us luck!
WAR
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Mongolians !
It doesn't matter what kind of wall you put up to protect something or someone. There will always be 'mongolians' to find a way to exploit it in some way.
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idea
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Revolutionary concept for age verification online
• The kinds of publicly available data are indeed not available for minors or are restricted by federal privacy laws.
• Using schools for confirming the age of minors and for taking the role of digital notary, raises among others, serious privacy concerns and eventually it will also promote marketing or any other kinds of promotional pitches or gimmicks aimed at school age children.
• Potential abuse by online predators through identity theft.
Now, for the first time, there is a solution that overcomes all above mentioned shortfalls; an innovative biometric age verification system, provided by VerificAge (www.verificage.com):
• VerificAge's solution does not use any kind of data base. Eliminating risks involved in storing and maintaining data.
• It does not identify the user personally but rather his/her age group category; therefore, the user's privacy cannot be jeopardized.
• The system is based on a "one time" biometric measurement that can distinguish a child (under 14 years old) from an adult with a very high accuracy rate.
• It can assert a user's age every time he wishes to access a website, content, or while interacting with others
It seems that this solution is going to change children's surfing culture on the Net.
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Re: Revolutionary concept for age verification online
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Real age verification
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