Child Online Safety

Parents and kids have become much more aware of online safety issues. However, it’s still frightening how many people are still unaware or out of touch with basic Internet safety guidelines and practices.

Hasbro teaches kids to smash lightbulbs

Posted by elliottzone at 8:49 pm Child Online Safety, Mumble mumble

May 102009

You’d think a large toy company like Hasbro would have kids’ safety in mind, but one of their online interactive games is the kind of thing that makes parents cringe with its sheer foolishness.

Hasbro’s GI Joe – The Grip game allows kids to choose various items for a big GI Joe hand to squash. While most of the things being squished are funny and harmless, one of the choices is a light bulb. It’s not a cartoon hand that’s doing this either – it’s a video of a bare hand crushing these items. Among the other things are glass jars and full coffee cups.

Their response to this when I emailed them was a bland pre-canned reply saying how important children’s safety is, but several months later, GI Joe is still encouraging kids to crush lightbulbs with their bare hands.

It’s too bad there isn’t an option for parents to get GI Joe to reach out and give the approvers of this game a good head squeeze…

Social networking helps find missing child

Posted by elliottzone at 2:09 pm Child Online Safety, Web Culture

Apr 212009

There’s lots of negative press about social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, decrying their value and claiming that they add no real value to our lives.

When you think about all the pointless info on Facebook or time-wasting Tweets like “I’m standing in line for a coffee” it’s easy to agree. However, every once in a while social media sites provide a service that is so immeasurably valuable that they put the formal processes and tools to shame.

Here’s an example of a recent story about a missing girl. She didn’t fit the formal profile for triggering an Amber Alert so the family fell back on their informal online networking contacts.

Reporting online exploitation of kids

Posted by elliottzone at 6:01 pm Child Online Safety

Nov 292006

Cybertip.ca is Canada’s National Tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children. It is a centralized web portal for receiving and addressing reports from the public regarding child pornography, luring, child sex tourism, and children who are exploited through prostitution.

Cybertip.ca also provides the public with information, referrals and other resources to help Canadians keep their children safe while on the Internet.

Microsoft & Child Porn

Posted by elliottzone at 4:37 pm Child Online Safety, Web Culture

Apr 082005

Amazing — Microsoft has actually done something good!

It’s been a couple of years in the making, but Microsoft’s CET (Child Exploitation Tracking System) has helped the Toronto Police Service’s Sex Crimes Unit track down and charge a man previously arrested on child-pornography charges with sexually assaulting a 4-year-old-girl, taking pornographic pictures of her and distributing them.

I never thought I’d say this, but "Good job, Microsoft!"

The latest trends in kiddie porn

Posted by elliottzone at 3:33 pm Child Online Safety

Feb 182005

The world has seen a lot of increases related to the Internet over the past year.

Blogs have exploded in popularity and in quantity, viruses and security patches have been released at a frenzied pace, and more and more people are getting connected via the web.

Spam has increased (in case you hadn’t noticed), but there’s something else that’s increased that most people probably aren’t as aware about — “kiddie porn”.