Cybertraps Podcast

In this episode, Fred and Jethro discuss the issues around child access to adult content and products on the internet. Many links and examples at Cybertraps.com Legal But Age-Restricted (in theory) Gambling Pornography Cigarettes Alcohol Prescription Drugs Weapons and Explosives Illegal Obscenity / Child Pornography Controlled Substances as defined the Drug Enforcement Agency Schedule I – heroin, LSD, marijuana, ecstasy, peyote, etc. Schedule II – Vicodin, cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ritalin Schedule III – Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone Impure or corrupted versions of known drugs A range of designer/synthetic, uncategorized drugs Shift in Laws and Social Acceptance Alcohol – Prohibition Marijuana – Spreading legalization Scope of the Problem Examples 2020–12–23 One in six children steal money from their parents to pay for addictive computer game ‘loot boxes’, survey reveals – as campaigners call for them to be classed as gambling 2020–12–12 This 6-year-old racked up $16K on mom’s credit card playing video games 2020–12–04 Schoolgirl, 15, died at gathering with friends after taking ecstasy supplied by two teenagers who bought the tablets off the dark web, inquest hears 2020–11–08 One in 10 children admit gambling with their own money amid fears thousands of families are being plunged into ’tidal wave of misery’ 2020–08–26 Gambling giants flout advertising rules to target children by using websites popular with youngsters 2020–08–18 Schoolboy, 15, AVOIDS jail after he sold three super-strong Donkey Kong ecstasy pills to a 13-year-old on Snapchat before he died hours later from ‘severe reaction’ to Class A drug 2020–01–03 Children are fueling marathon gaming sessions with ‘dangerous’ stimulants that have DOUBLE the caffeine of Red Bull and are promoted by YouTube stars like KSI and FaZe Jarvis 2018–05–14 Twitter and Instagram are accused of ‘playing with people’s lives’ for continuing to host pages advertising deadly counterfeit Xanax 2014–02–26 Buying a gun on Facebook takes 15 minutes Schoolgirl 15 died taking ecstasy supplied two teenagers bought dark web inquest hears Exposure Peers Social Media Influencers Advertising In-Game Purchases Facilitation Social media – algorithms, influencers, unmonitored groups Web sites – poorly designed and unethical Product-specific sites Private seller sites (eBay) Dark web – TOR Surface web – 4% of visible internet Deep web – non-indexed, non-accessible sites (government, corporate, etc.) Dark web – requires special browsers like TOR, I2P, or Freenet 2013 – DEA, Homeland Security, and FBI take down Silk Road, notorious dark web drug bazaar Encryption for communication (Sigaint, PGP) Delivery services – poor practices, disregard of regulations re signatures, etc. Parents – lack of supervision, access to credit cards/finances Payment methods Reloadable credit cards Cryptocurrency (BitCoin) Barter Why Is Age Verification on the Internet So Difficult? 1984 New Yorker cartoon – On the internet, no one knows you’re a dog Buttons and verification screens are laughable Birth certificates are issued locally, not nationally Social security numbers are given to children Credit card companies don’t want the hassle A Range of Child Protection Initiatives Governmental General More and more systems requiring real-time scan of driver’s license United Kingdom The Digital Economy Act – any website with more than one-third of pornographic content must securely verify that their visitors are 18 or over. United States 2021–01–29 – UPS ends home delivery of vaping products 2020 – The Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act Same safety measures as those for traditional cigarettes and smokeless tobacco Verify the age of customers for all purchases. Require an adult with ID to be present for delivery. Label shipping packages to show they contain tobacco products. Comply with all state and local tobacco tax requirements. 1997 Child Online Protection Act – required all commercial distributors of material harmful to minors to restrict their sites from access by minors. Ruled unconstitutional in 2007 by U.S. District Court. 3rd Cir. agreed in 2008, and SCOTUS denied cert in 2009. Software and Services A wide variety of software companies are competing to create effective age verification systems Labeling Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection Restricted to Adults label for web sites List of organization and software tools aimed at protecting children Guidelines for parents Install and use parent control software on all computers Know what sites your children frequent and monitor their online activity Foster communication with your children so they understand the potential dangers they may be exposed to online. What Can Parents Do? Monitor the Use of Devices Install Filtering Software and Use Parental Controls Check Browser History Lots of Conversation Be Confident in Discussing Online Activity with Your Child Pay Attention to Your Child’s Behavior Don’t Be Afraid to Discuss Influence of Friends Sign Up for Delivery Notification and Check All Packages / Consider Installing a Smart Doorbell Keep a Close Eye on Your Finances Get Help American Addiction Centers Get Smart About Drugs (DEA) Thanks to our mission partner: Buoyancy Digital is proud to be the inaugural Mission Partner for the Cybertraps Podcast series. A digital advertising consultancy with an ethos, Buoyancy was founded by Scott Rabinowitz, who has been in digital media since 1997 and has overseen $300 million in youth safety compliant ad buys across all digital platforms. For IAB, Google and Bing accredited brand and audience safe advertising sales solutions, media buying and organizational training for media publishers, let’s chat.