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Russia to protect children from Internet risks
Published: 03 February, 2010, 19:13
Edited: 16 February, 2010, 16:27
TAGS: Children, Russia, Drugs, Law, Internet, Prime Time Russia
This week has been declared as “Safer Internet Week” by Russia, coinciding with the global “Safer Internet Day” which falls on February 9.
Initially a puzzling entity in the early 1990s, the Internet has changed unrecognizably over the past decade. While it has brought revolutionary ways of interaction, it has also created a whole new set of risks – especially for children.
The aim of the Safer Internet Week events is to promote a safer and more responsible use of online technology by today’s youth by educating children on the risks of child pornography, dangers of drug use, which is often promoted online, and threats of sites promoting violence.
Another risk factor is social networking, represented by such websites as Facebook, Myspace, and Russia’s Vkontakte.ru.
“Anyone can publish anything – that, I would say, is one of the biggest risks,” Janice Richardson, InSafe network and European Schoolnet coordinator, told RT. “Young people don’t understand which data has real value and which does not.”
“One more major risk is self-disclosure. Young people tend to say too much, to do too much, to give away too much information,” she added.
Nowadays the Internet is obviously a very important part in every schoolchild’s daily routine.
“I use the Internet every day to check my e-mail and my Vkontakte account,” said Marina, a student. “I spend about three hours a day on the Internet at weekends, and about an hour on schooldays.”
Government statistics show that about 50% of children spend on the Internet up to three hours a day, and 9 out of 10 have access to online technology.
For most of this time, parents are unable to monitor the sites their children visit or what sort of things they download or upload.
What is more, Russian legislation does not help to make the Internet safer for children to use.
“The law should be improved,” said Vladimir Ovchinsky, Constitutional Court advisor. “Russia has not yet ratified two fundamental conventions of the Council of Europe, coordinating the fight against human trafficking. including child pornography. I have no idea why our country has not joined these conventions.”
Meanwhile, Russia boasts one of the fastest growing Internet populations in the world. In June 2009, 32% of Russians were online, and this figure is going up all the time.
Therefore, once there is room for improvement regarding legislation in particular, Russia is very serious about Safer Internet week, so that children can go about online business safely.
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Protecting children from the internet is the responsibility of the parents. Everyone who is mature knows FULL WELL what is going on in the internet. It is a parental duty to put child safety features if they choose to let their child use the internet. They bought the computer home and signed up for internet service. We don't need a nanny state with the government telling us how to live and what is necessary in our own home. If one is negligent, it is their own fault. Some crazy people are talking about requiring a license to use the internet. That's where this will lead if one jumps in bed with regulators.
Also, the everyone can post anything complaint is infuriating! It's called free speech! I can post a comment saying Batman stinks like rotten vegetables. It is complete nonsense! But I am free to state it. Bloggers write their opinions on world events. Sometimes they are more accurate than news that openly LIE on TV and the internet. So even if all were accredited journalists, that doesn't equate to truth. Then they rant about not seeing what your child is doing. Like I said in my other post... The parents are responsible! If you can't watch over you child and let them mess around... then put programs to block or don't have internet. They then press child porn issue. Its a disgusting thing, but guess what! POST IT! SHOW THE COPS where YOU ARE!!! You want them to go into hiding? Do you think a pedophile being blocked from internet is going to stop being a pedophile? It is a way to find them if they "Give too much information". Russia is one of the freest zones for internet. Signing human traffic laws and so forth have nothing to do with internet. In many countries, this is the last zone of freedom and free speech. Don't trample on it. People have no responsibility for themselves and want law makers to pamper the world community for them. These people make me sick. And Government stop trampling on freedom. The internet will die due to fools.