Introducing Circuit: Internet, Children, Safety & More

Hi.

We are excited to launch ‘Circuit‘ our monthly newsletter about Children and the Internet. The focus is Internet Safety and Child Protection. Through this monthly feature, we will put together news, opinions, tools and resources that can help all of us keep track of its seemingly new and fast changing topography. We will also be using this platform to feature the latest numbers from our recently launched Internet Hotline.

Without further ado, proudly presenting the first edition of “Circuit“

All Together, All Alone: Adam Curtis On The Internet

Late last year, British journalist and documentarian Adam Curtis released ‘Hypernormalization’ , his 2 hour 46 minute magnum opus that attempts to give perspective to the confusing times we live in.

One of the running threads through this sprawling film was the story of the internet told like we’ve never heard it before. Instead of the same old story of ‘innovation and discovery’, Curtis uses an older framework of ‘power and politics’. And in doing so, he shines a fleeting light on this massive network that is the world wide web.

We have culled out those parts for you. And like the websites say… what you will see, will blow your mind.

Ministry Plans to Set Up National Alliance to Tackle Online Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

First announced at the launch of India’s 1st Internet Hotline in September 2016, the Center is moving forward with its idea of instituting a cell within the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) as part of its plans to set up a national alliance against child sexual abuse material on the Internet. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said the decision was taken as there is no strong mechanism to check such content. The first meeting towards this alliance is scheduled for the 16th of January 2017. (source: Indian express)

An Easy Guide to Parental Controls

Parental controls are an important way to keep our child safe online. It can be used to block upsetting or harmful content, control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online. And the good news is they are really easy to set up. So if you’re worried about what your child is searching for online, NSPCC’s new, practical and quite beautiful looking micro-site is a good place to start.  (source: NSPCC)

WhatsApp Vulnerability allows Snooping on Encrypted Messages

The app that we all use, that sold itself on its ability to safeguard our privacy, now seems to have a backdoor to its encryption technology. So quite simply, it is not as secure as we all thought it was. The backdoor seems to have been made for functional reasons. You need not worry that the breach will be used for profiling for advertising purposes. However, if you seek to avoid surveillance by government agencies, it would be advisable to switch to other more secure applications. 

Reporting The Reports: Statistics from India’s Internet Hotline (Sept to Dec 2016)

From September 2016 to December 2016, the India Hotline received a total of 211 reports. Of these, 31 were found to be containing Child Sexual Abuse Imagery, 24 of which were found to be of the most severe category. Action was taken and content from all 31 links was taken down. Click the link for more details.

Thanks for reading. See you next month!
Subscribe to the Aarambh India newsletters (Circuit & The Catalog) at this link.