Guidelines on Internet Access for Children and Parents

These guidelines are written for parents of children at primary or elementary schools, i.e. aged 5 to 12.

Brief Recommendations

Introduction

Over the last ten years, the Internet has emerged as an important communications medium for both professional and personal usage. People shop on the Internet, book airline tickets on the Internet, use email rather than paper mail, search for information and do much more. It seems likely that by the time our children are in their late teens, they will routinely use Internet access to perform tasks that we did with the Yellow Pages, a phone, paper and pencil, and they will need to use some skills to do that - skills which can only be acquired with some practice, making it undesirable to totally disallow Internet access.

The Internet provides a range of services. In the area of privacy and protection of minors, the most important of these are:

* The World Wide Web
* Electronic Mail (email)
* Instant Messaging and "Chat Rooms"
* Usenet, or "Net News" (less common among children)

Vulnerabilities Considered Here

Exposure to inappropriate content (pornography, advertising)
Exposure to privacy infringements (advertising, SPAM, online stalkers, or worse)
Exposure to ethical or moral grey areas (mailing lists, free offers, scams)
Exposure to technical risks: viruses, worms, etc. which can "damage" home or school computers
Absence of parental or other adult supervision

In this report, I do not consider additional risks, such as the exposure to hackers incurred by "always-on" cable modem and ADSL internet connections, etc. I also do not discuss addictive or compulsive behaviour, the effect of violent video games, etc.

Internet Access Generally

Home computers should be placed in a family room, kitchen, study or other area where the screen is visible to parents most of the time.

Teach children about "stranger danger online". Do not allow children to give their name, address, email address or other identifying information to strangers in any way - whether by web forms, email, chat or discussion forums. Remind them that you have no way of confirming the age, sex, location or other information about people online.

Teach children to be reasonably sceptical about online advertising, free offers and other scams. If it seems to good to be true, it always is - especially on the Internet, where it is easy for offenders to hide.

World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is a complexly-linked (hence, web) network of documents and services which are accessed via a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator and others. Accelerated marketing of web content by providers has made the Web easy to use (just point & click), rich (colourful graphics, music, interactive games, etc) and attractive (interesting content).

The Web is an excellent educational resource, and to an increasing extent, schools are going to have to reflect the reality that much professional and educational research is conducted via the Web. There are many good and safe sites for kids to use, both for education and entertainment, and a good starting point is Berit's Best Sites for Children (http://www.beritsbest.com/). Other sites which are specifically designed for children include Yahooligans! (http://www.yahooligans.com/).

It is widely known that these attributes have made the Web an ideal mechanism for the distribution of pornography, to the extent that pornographic web sites are held up as one of only a few examples of successful businesses on the Internet (this is sad, but quite probably true). Pornography web sites aim to attract users by apparently offering free access but requiring credit card details "as proof of age", although in fact the majority will then bill the credit cards. Some also work by downloading a special dialler program, which will then replace the computer's regular dialler, and will connect to the Internet via an international toll call with added chargebacks.

I consider it unlikely that most primary-school children will have access to credit cards, and unlikely that they will have the ability to download and install a replacement dialler program.

The threat therefore comes from two areas:

1) Free pornography sites, and
2) Banner advertising, search engine meta tags and other "promotional" techniques

Once again, it is unlikely that children will stumble across free pornography sites. In fact, in my daily work, which sometimes takes me into the seamy underbelly of the Internet, even I rarely come across such sites. The real worry is area 2).

One technique used by pornography site operators is to put "keyword tags" at the top of their web pages, containing many quite inoffensive words which are likely to be used in Web searches. The search engines' robots then come across these pages and index then under the various keywords, so that subsequent searches will turn up the pornography web sites in amongst the useful ones. Our family has encountered at least one quite offensive example of this practice while researching a school project.

Pornography web sites also place banner advertisements on other web sites, and these generally seem to be those in the "grey areas" of the Internet where they need the ad revenue: warez sites, hacker sites and the like. These advertisements can be quite explicit, and are *very* eyecatching (yes, even for kids!).

"Warez" is software - games, operating systems, etc. - on which the copy protection, if any, has been defeated, and which can be freely downloaded. Examples include popular PC, PS2 and other games, Windows XP, Microsoft Office, as well as other content such as music CD's and even DVD movies. Such material breaches the Copyright Act in Australia, and downloading it is illegal in most countries. Hence, the warez sites typically move around, and are willing to accept banner advertising for pornography web sites to cover their costs.

Hacker sites are those used by computer hackers (crackers, computer terrorists, attackers, call them what you will) to exchange "exploits", which are the techniques used to defeat computer security. These also seem willing to accept pornographic advertising.

It is unlikely that children will visit these sites; however, there is growing interest in web sites devoted to "cheats", which are the undocumented secret commands that can, for example, render one immortal in a GameBoy game. These sites are somewhat borderline, in my opinion, and I consider it possible that a child looking for "cheat" sites may blunder into warez and hacker sites, and thence the pornography adverts.

Countermeasures

The most commonly-cited technical countermeasure to inappropriate web content is so-called filtering software for home computers, such as Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, CyberSitter, etc. I have experimented with Net Nanny, and found that it interfered with the operation of the computer to a level that we found unacceptable (on one memorable occasion, my wife lost all her work when Net Nanny took offence to something she had typed and killed Microsoft Word) while being fairly ineffective at filtering out objectionable content. Unless these products have improved considerably, I fear the cure may be worse than the disease. Comments on specific products are invited. Tools for blocking and filtering internet access can be found in a directory at http://www.getnetwise.org/tools/ . Results of a CSIRO test of filtering software is expected to appear at CyberSmart Kids (http://www.cybersmartkids.com.au/).

The second approach is to use content filtering at the network level. This is done by a server called a proxy web server, which is able to block or allow access to web sites based upon various rules such as the site name, address, time of day, the user name and, in some cases, the content of the pages. The Department of Education operates such a filter between the outside world and the departmental intranet, and it is fairly effective. Blocking of sites can be done either on a black-list basis - this blocks access to known objectionable sites, but new sites will not be blocked until they appear on the list - or on a white-list basis, which allows access to only known "good" sites, but may be overly-restrictive. However, the use of a proxy web server is not something available to most home users.

America OnLine (AOL) claims to filter content available to its customers via this method. However, it is a commonly held view that most pornography trading takes place among AOL customers on the AOL network, and that the primary purpose of AOL's filters is to restrict customers to AOL's premium (i.e. extra-cost) services. I remain unconvinced of the effectiveness of AOL's content filtering.

The third technique is to use a proxy web server, but not to block access, only to log all sites which are visited. The same information can be retrieved from the "history" files of web browsers. For Netscape, the history can be seen by simply clicking the down-arrow at the right end of the "Location" bar (it is stored in C:\Program Files\NetscapeCommunicator\Users\<username>\prefs.js). For Internet Explorer, recent site URL's can be obtained by clicking on the pull-down arrow at the right end of the "Address" bar, but a much more comprehensive list of site URL's can be retrieved from (at least, under Windows 2000) "C:\documents and settings\<username>\Local Settings\History", where it is organized into a series of folders, by age. Internet Explorer preserves a lot more history information than Netscape.

Make it clear to children that you can easily see what web sites they have visited.

The fourth approach - which I recommend - is the use of a web search engine which filters out inappropriate material. To date, the best I have seen is Google SafeSearch (see http://www.google.com/help/customize.html#safe). I include this on our intranet home page and highly recommend it, and will put it on our school web site home page.

The best non-technical countermeasure is adult supervision and involvement in online activities.

Other miscellaneous advice:

Do not allow children to register at web sites without parental permission. Always read the privacy policy of the site operator. If there is no policy, or if it looks suspicious, do not register. Sites run by major companies with a family-friendly image to uphold (e.g., Lego) are usually safe - but check anyway.

Do not allow children to download and install software such as free demo games, etc. Some downloads, such as the execrable "Bonzi Buddy" are designed to present continual banner advertising while invading your privacy by capturing information about the web sites what you visit and relaying to an unidentified third party. Children are, by their natures, excessively trusting, and will happily install virus, trojan horse and worm programs which can cause damage to your computer.

Do not allow children unlimited downloads of music and video - the large size of these files can easily cause you to exceed the download allowance provided by your internet service provider and inadvertently incur substantial additional charges. In a recent case a colleague reported, a secretary at a small business amused herself by downloading lots of music over her employers' new high-bandwidth ADSL line, incurring a $2,000 surcharge for the first month of operation.

Email Services

Electronic mail should be quite safe, when used between children with a minimal level of supervision. Indeed, email can be a useful and fun way for children to keep in touch with distant relatives, dads on business trips, etc. Starting next year, the Department of Education will provide all children (and parents) with email accounts, and email will be a fact of life for all.

Threats and Defences

Email accounts with free providers such as Hotmail/ninemsn, Yahoo! and others seem to be publicly visible and harvestable by spammers and others. This will lead to receipt of unsolicited emails from a variety of sources.

Do not create email accounts for children based upon their real names. Always make up a "screen name" or "handle" that is not directly traceable back to the child, but take care to avoid inappropriate connotations or age references, e.g. "biker_man171", "hotlips69","hottiexxx", etc.

If children (or adults) are receiving SPAM (unsolicited commercial email) do NOT reply to any suggested "Remove" address! Replying merely informs the spammer that a human read the email, marking the email address as "live" and therefore more valuable (a process known as "list-washing"). Once they know this, the level of SPAM will rapidly increase.

To deal with SPAM, register with a service like SpamCop (http://spamcop.net). This will allow you to paste the complete email - including the headers which are normally not displayed - into a web form, where SpamCop will then analyse the header information and automatically generate complain emails to the upstream Internet Service Provider of the spammer. The email does not identify you, and the ISP should close the account of the offender (who will then simply move on to the next ISP, typically on a 30-day free trial basis).

There is no service which can automatically deal with SPAM of a pornographic nature. In serious cases, the appropriate agency to contact is obviously the Police Service.

Instant Messaging and "Chat Rooms"

Instant messaging software allows text, voice and even video communication in real time, person to person. Such software also usually allows access to public "chat rooms" in which mutual interests (hobbies, etc.) can be discussed. Examples of such programs and services include MSN Messenger, Microsoft NetMeeting, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and others. They are enormously popular with young people, and there is no reason to believe that children are not equally attracted. In fact, older siblings may introduce younger children to such services.

Instant messaging software can be a terrific resource, especially for travelling parents. I have a small webcam attached to my notebook so that I can "video-conference" with my family when travelling, and it is also great for chatting to distant family members.

Threats and Defences

IM software is probably the major exposure to inappropriate content for our children. The real-time nature of the communication renders any form of moderation (i.e. intervention to 'kill' inappropriate content) impossible. The bias of the age/sex distribution of users towards males in their late teens leads to almost constant exposure to bad lanuage, inappropriate comments, you name it (and I am basing my comments on my experience in what I now know to be a fairly tranquil backwater of technical users).

Spammers and others appear to collect user ID's (and the associated email addresses) from chat rooms, and users then become the recipients of unsolicited commercial emails. In addition, it seems to be common practice for operators of pornography web sites to use "robots" (these are actually programs, although they display some characteristics of human users, hence the name) to direct solicitations and invitations via personal messaging or instant messaging to users who are in a chat room at the time.

Example:

"hottieamy44444: Heya! My name is Amy and my friends and i just made our own adult site with free pics and videos on it so please check it out and reply and tell me what ya think just click here -> http://www.amysnaughtysite.com Thanks!! - Amy the Hottie "

Ethical issues: only today I witnessed a quite amazing diatribe about the Holocaust and the Jesse Owens affair at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, conducted in a Yahoo! chatroom by what I later discovered was a somewhat precocious 16-year-old. Regardless of one's personal beliefs, one might not wish one's children to be exposed to debates about religion, race, etc. before they are able to form a proper appreciation of the arguments involved.

It has been suggested that chat rooms are the most likely places for paedophiles and child pornographers to attempt to ensnare kids. That seems quite probable. Although I have never seen any evidence of this kind of activity, I am not a major user of chat rooms and have never explored the kinds of rooms where such activity might be conducted.

All of these threats are inappropriate for children, and so children should not be allowed to use such chat rooms. The only defence I can see is to ban their use.

Some service providers, e.g. Yahoo!, provide an instant messenger and chat room service specifically for children (e.g. "Yahooligans!", http://www.yahooligans.com). However, I am informed that this is not widely used, and kids will prefer more open (and adult-oriented) systems.

One local "chat room" (actually a web forum) which has appropriate controls is the ABC Children's "Link Up" project at http://www.abc.net.au/children/linkup/. Click on the "Ongoing Forum" link to continue from there. This web forum requires only a web browser (no special software) and all posts are reviewed for appropriateness by an adult moderator before being made public. No names or other identifying data are permitted. This seems to be a particularly appropriate way for primary-aged children to communicate online.

Note as of 16th August 2002: The "Link Up" site has now closed, but has been replaced by two new ABC moderated sites: "shout" ( http://www2b.abc.net.au/children/shout/ ) and "chatterbox" ( http://www2b.abc.net.au/children/chatterbox/ ).

Usenet

Also known as "net news", this service is not commonly used by computer novices, but allows unmoderated public discussion in the same way as chat rooms, only not in real time. While some parts of Usenet are carefully structured into a hierarchy (comp. for computing, comp.sys for computer systems, rec. for recreation, rec.roller-coaster, aus.bushwalking, etc.) this is not the case of the infamous alt. hierarchy, where anyone can create newsgroups on any topic - and they do. This is where one will find the nefarious alt.sex.small-furry-animals, for example, and other things best left to the imagination.

While newsgroups may be useful and interesting, there is minimal support for content filtering, and children should generally not be permitted to use newsreader programs such as Microsoft News or Netscape Newsgroup.

Resources

Walt Disney Corporation has a web site with some fun, interactive lessons on online safety: http://disney.go.com/cybersafety/index.html

The Kids on the Web: http://www.zen.org/~brendan/kids.html

Kid's Tools for Searching the Internet: http://www.rcls.org/ksearch.htm

Disney's Top Ten CyberNetiquette Tips: http://disney.go.com/cybersafety/tips.html

Get Net Wise: http://www.getnetwise.org/

CyberSmart Curriculum: http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/home/

Internet Safety for Teachers and Students: http://www.k12science.org/internetsafety.html

NetAlert: http://www.netalert.net.au/

Australian Broadcasting Authority Cyber Smart Kids Site: http://www.cybersmartkids.com.au/

About the Author

Les Bell has been online since 1982, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Page last updated: 07/Feb/2005 Back to Home Copyright © 1987-2007 Les Bell and Associates Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. webmaster@lesbell.com.au
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