No other method is foolproof

Jan 14, 2009 10:57 GMT  ·  By
Adult oversight is crucial, in order to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content on the web
   Adult oversight is crucial, in order to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content on the web

Protecting children from inappropriate web contacts is one of the modern-day concerns that each couple has to deal with. There are plenty of solutions to do so, ranging from parental control on various sites to advanced filters in antivirus programs. But a new panel study shows that there are no foolproof methods of removing all harmful or explicit content children may be subjected to, other than parental oversight of the kids. The research concluded that the option favored by most law enforcement officials, age verification, cannot be applied due to the multiple ways available of moving past it.

"Parents, teachers, mentors, social services, law enforcement and minors themselves all have crucial roles to play in ensuring online safety for all minors," the report says. Behind it were researchers based at Harvard University, who were solicited to form the investigation panel by authorities and concerned parents. Internet scholars and nonprofit organizations were also involved in the survey.

Providers "should not overly rely upon any single technology or group of technologies as the primary solution" of minor protection, the report adds. Explicit adult content providers always stay ahead of the security measures set in place to prevent them from reaching children, so law makers and child safety advocacy groups believe that the problem has to be solved at the end users' side of the cable first, until efficient ways of blocking this type of information are found.

"The report is a step forward, but it has to be followed by other steps," said Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General of Connecticut, in an interview. He is one of the main architects of the new task force, which is seeking solutions for this problem.

Representative of child safety groups say that children are most vulnerable to such attacks not because they are tricked into accessing sites, but because they put themselves at risk, which is a circumstance no technological device, no matter how complicated, can foresee and avoid.

The new study "identifies key areas on which industry can focus efforts to increase online safety," added MySpace chief security officer, Hemanshu Nigam. On the other hand, companies that are actively producing age identification software said that the report was biased and its conclusions far-fetched. "The report is unfocused and addresses far too many non-SNS (social-networking site), non-technical issues. Many recommendations are generic, obvious and redundant," said Aristotle International Inc. in a communicate.