With Facebook sitting on top of the social networking game, there are some questions that are not being taken seriously.?Apparently, Facebook is seriously considering a special category of membership for kids under the age of 13.?
However, many parents and online safety advocates are preparing to go against this move. A recent study by Consumer Reports highlights that about 7.5 Million underage kids are using the social networking website. With almost a billion users, that may not amount to much right now, but still is a significant number. Unfortunately, of the people surveyed, only 18% parents had actually befriended their kids, a simplest way to partially monitor activities.
Any online activity is exposed to risks. We recently witnessed how drugs were being offered, sold & transacted using social networking sites.? It is at the pure judgment of the user that he or she can protect oneself. Kids at this age do not really understand the long-term implications of befriending someone online. It is not uncommon for people with sinister intents to register themselves as kids & enter the site.
What safety measures is Facebook implementing to prevent such simple fraud? Additionally, identity theft & impersonation are just some of the tricks in the arsenal of hackers to take over the virtual identity of someone & carry out his activities.
Despite the risks involved, will Facebook go ahead with the implementation? In its official statement Facebook stays non-committal, the company says it is in ?Continuous dialogue with stakeholders, regulators and other policymakers about how best to help parents keep their kids safe in an evolving online environment.?
Unless Facebook comes up with superior recognition technology to authenticate user & his age, kids won?t be safe online. That said, parents must have the final say in the matter. Being just a medium to offer social interaction, should Facebook be held responsible??
Share your thoughts with us.
Alap Naik Desai
Typical Mumbaikar with a passion for all things Tech. Analysis of News is my Passion. You can reach me at alap4u@gmail.comblack and tan dwight howard trade ncaa bracket 2012 2012 ncaa bracket john carlson greg smith catamount
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