Social networks have become a rather serious platform for pedophiles: Samvel Martirosyan

Interview with Samvel Martirosyan, Information Security expert.

Mr. Martirosyan, recently touching upon children’s protection, you stated that one of the widely spread issues is that information about children are being used in intimate social networks. What steps do you suggest in this regard?

Number one issue is that parents should get interested with that field. Other issues among our society are known to the parent, as they’ve been children and approximately imagine the threats. However, issues linked to the internet are new, i.e. there aren’t traditional upbringing methods, accepted norms. Accordingly, number one issue is that the parent doesn’t even realize what issues the child may have, so the parent should be interested in it.

Secondly, children should be educated. Currently the schools mainly don’t solve that issue. If there is an exact teacher, he/she will hint, if not, all that isn’t installed in the program.

The third step is that parents should be aware where their children are registered, check their security settings, so that the child didn’t make open posts. For instance, for the underage Facebook automatically choses “only for friends” mode, if they correctly state their age. However, very frequently children give a wrong date, especially, when they are under 13, as Facebook bans registration of teenagers under 13.

What should the parents do?

I think there is some age, under which the child shouldn’t have any connection to the internet at all, and if he/she does, then—with the presence of parents. For instance, if a 7-8 year-old child signs up in a social network, it’s already a global issue, as no matter how much they control, the child will come across with such things, which he/she shouldn’t. Social networks don’t give strict restrictions.

You stated that the parent doesn’t even realize what issues the child may have. Can you single out a few issues?

For pedophiles social networks have become a serious platform. Incidents have been recorded in Armenia as well, it’s not only in “degenerate” overseas. Use of children’s personal data is an issue, steps are taken in their names. I’m not speaking of an issue, which isn’t generally touched upon in Armenia, cyberbullying, when a child is made a target, e.g. by his/her classmates in the network. It’s a serious issue, which requires realized approach not only by parents, but also by the school.

You also stated that children are delivered tablets from the first grade, which is senseless, as if they give a tablet and don’t teach how to use them, it’s the same, as taking children to the frontline and saying: get along and if something happens, just keep your heads down and let them shoot. What solution do you propose?

Upon my subjective opinion there is no sense giving tablets to the children, i.e. I may imagine its use, e.g. to free the children from textbooks, finally, many have problems with the backbone. But when the tablet is becoming an end in itself, it’s another issue. Training of teachers is important, moreover, not only those of informatics, but of all the subjects. Parents should also be trained through schools, e.g. during the school gathering. Work with the child should be conducted as well. Here it’s not only the issue of personal data, but if it wasn’t set, the child should use the internet only as a tool to get educated, he/she can play games all day long, i.e. proper use of the tool should be shown. The same tablet may be used in various ways and the simplest one is playing games.

What programs can you propose to the parents for certain internet restrictions, so that children didn’t make use of the elder’s websites and etc.?

Likewise programs have been installed in the operating systems, however, the parent should study all that, e.g. in the very Windows system the child should enter with another User, and the parent is the administrator to put restrictions on it. Those restrictions may be with additional programs, and not only restriction of visiting websites, but also with time of computer use. The computer is being automatically switched off. However, all that should be done with the mobile phone as well, if the child has a smartphone.

By Razmik Martirosyan