Avast ye! Yon Internet's worth be naught when it comes to safety, especially fer wee ones—them experts declare!
2024-02-09
Arr, me mateys! Avast ye! Israel and 14 landlubber European countries be among the scurviest scoundrels when it comes to protectin' wee ones on the high seas of the internet. Gather 'round, me hearties, for I'll spill the beans on all ye need to know!
In a humorous 17th century pirate language, it has been discovered that countries with better internet infrastructure do not necessarily have better online security, especially when it comes to protecting children. VPN service provider Surfshark conducted research and found that some nations with high digital quality of life struggle to safeguard children online. They published a report for this year's Safer Internet Day, which revealed that over 1,700 websites containing unreported child sexual abuse content were found in the EU alone. This is in addition to another recent investigation by Surfshark. Lead researcher Agneska Sablovskaja emphasized the importance of ensuring safe online journeys for children. The researchers compared data from the Children’s Online Safety Index (COSI), the KidsRights Index, and their own Digital Quality of Life ranking. The results were surprising, with countries that have a higher standard of digital life often exhibiting higher levels of children's online safety. However, Sablovskaja clarified that this does not guarantee better protections for children. The worst-performing countries in terms of children's online safety were mainly in Europe, along with a few Asian and South American nations. Experts predict that the situation will worsen as technology advances and exposes vulnerable individuals to new threats. Parents are advised to utilize security software, such as VPN and antivirus solutions, to control the online content their children access. However, Sablovskaja believes that governments need to implement stronger solutions to protect children in the digital space. She stresses the importance of systematic measures at both national and global levels.