The first guide for children's online safety has appeared, a document intended for children, parents and teachers. Designed by specialists in the field, the document could even become a school textbook in the future.
Children are very easy to manipulate online. Photo source: archive
How do I protect myself from online dangers? How do I protect my personal data? How can I surf the Internet safely? What dangers can lurk in the online space? These are just some of the questions that the only comprehensive privacy and cyber security awareness guide for kids, parents and teachers tries to answer. Daniela Cireașa, the president of the Association of Privacy and Data Protection Specialists, but also one of the initiators of the project, explained to “Adevărul” the importance of this document in a world where dangers in the virtual space lurk where you least expect it.
risks
We need to keep up with current affairs, know the concept of digitization and have at least basic notions in this regard. However, we live in a century where technology has advanced tremendously, artificial intelligence has developed at a dizzying pace, and the whole world seems to work only if someone in front of a computer clicks a button. On the other hand, we can say, without exaggerating too much, that the online environment has become the space that allows us to live a life parallel to our everyday life.
But the Internet, with all that it entails, comes with not only benefits, but also great risks. “And when children are exposed to these risks and even become victims, it is more than obvious that we need to take urgent measures“, said Daniela Cireașa, the president of the Association of Specialists in Confidentiality and Data Protection. “It is the reason why we thought up this guide, wrote it and published it. The idea came to me in 2020, when I was in Brussels at an event dedicated to the protection of children's personal data. Because this concern has existed for a long time at the European level, I thought that a better awareness would be needed in Romania as well“.
The pandemic overturned his plans a bit, and the idea came to fruition two years later. “I drafted the guide together with a colleague in the summer of 2022, and in the fall of the same year I presented it to the Ministry of Education. After undergoing some changes in form, but not in substance, the document reached the table of the National Cyber Security Directorate. After a new revision, the guide, in its final form, was published both on the website of the Directorate and on that of the Association of Specialists in Data Privacy”. And from here it can be downloaded for free by anyone who wants.
What information does the guide contain?
Specifically, the guide contains a series of information to help children, parents and teachers understand two fundamental concepts related to the protection of personal data and safety in the online environment. “We tried to think and write it in a way that everyone can understand, especially children, because we are talking about a subject that is difficult to digest. We then turn to parents and teachers, people who do not have specialist knowledge. Instead, I am convinced that they are all extremely involved in the lives of the little ones. We want the information to be assimilated quickly and as simply as possible, not to be boring”.
The document contains three large chapters. Children learn about personal data, what it is used for and who can access it. The guide answers questions about the importance of online safety. What are passwords, how are they chosen, what do our devices know about us, what is artificial intelligence, what are the most common dangers that little ones can be drawn into when navigating the virtual space. Kids learn about identity theft, hacking emails, messages or even electronic devices like phone, computer, laptop, etc. Then they learn how to recognize danger, how to avoid it, how to tell if someone is trying to trick them, learn about their rights, what is legal and what is not online.
Parents are also trained, because without support from the family the child cannot be protected. “Unfortunately, we cannot fully control what happens online with our children. But as much as we can, we must get involved. But in order to make them aware, we, the adults, must first be awarei”, is Daniela Cireașa's opinion. The document contains a series of tips and recommendations, rules that should be applied for the online safety of children.
Cyberbullying, child pornography, identity theft, blackmail, spam, scams, sexting or grooming – when an adult tries to get a child to perform sexual activities online or even in person – these are just a few of the most sensitive topics covered in the guide and which every parent should be aware of and then teach their children how to recognize and avoid. “Because whether we like it or not, the Internet is their universe and we must protect it from dangers. Just like we do in everyday life. Let us never forget that behind a seemingly harmless game, behind an account of a so-called friend on a social network, behind seemingly mundane messages, malicious people can hide, from sexual predators, data thieves personal and identity information, hackers, scammers, people who can resort to blackmail, threats, etc.
Unfortunately, continues the specialist, we live in a world where many parents expose their children to screens from an early age. “From my point of view, a child should be introduced to the digital world not necessarily at a certain age, but when the parent believes that he understands the existing dangers. And parental controls set on devices should be mandatory. This is the only way we can monitor the virtual activity of the child”.
The information dedicated to teachers touches on topics such as cyber security, cyberbullying, social networks, securing personal data. “Sharing photos and videos of children in a class online is illegal, but few teachers know this. If a child's photo appears on the school's website, it is only okay if the parent has given their consent. However, if you, as a teacher, post pictures of students on your personal Facebook account, you become a personal data controller and violate some rights, often without knowing that you are doing it“, Daniela Cireașa also specified. “Then, let's not forget parents' whatsapp groups where teachers post pictures, videos of their children and all kinds of information that should be kept confidential. I myself, for example, received information about scholarship students. But I don't mean only merit scholarships, but also social scholarships or disability scholarships. And not only from my child's class, but from the whole school. It is confidential information which, however, has been distributed to everyone. And this happens because teachers are not trained on the protection of personal data”.
The future manual
The guide made by the Association of Specialists in Privacy and Data Protection was released the other day and, the initiators hope, it could even become a school textbook in the future. The information it contains must reach its destination, in front of children, parents and teachers, not just be published on the Internet.
So we have the information, but what do we do with it? Because it must be distributed in schools, which the association cannot do. The reason? The ball is now in the court of the Ministry of Education who should be involved in approving this document and then distributing it to school inspectorates. “We have asked the ministry for help in distributing this guide in physical format. We asked them to be our partners in publishing and promoting it. We wish they had put their logo on the guide as well. This would give the document even more “weight”. It would have opened the door to its introduction into schools. For now, from the fall of 2022 until now, we have not received any response from the authorities. Although they know our project, they reviewed it two years ago, things stopped there. They didn't give any more sign. And we want only one thing: for this information to reach as many children, parents and teachers as possible”.
