Don’t talk to Strangers – SB1965, the internet, cybercrimes, and the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act

AUTHOR: Crystal Fontaine

We’ve all been warned by our parents time and time again as children that talking to strangers is bad. Of course, there are the exceptions. Your friends at school had once been strangers. In a time where technology has brought us the computer and then the internet, one of the scariest things that parents may face is their child ignoring the “Don’t Talk to Strangers” advice and making online “friends”. Sometimes, these so-called friends are not who they said they were. When a child decides to meet their online “friend”, there are times when that child goes missing.

The internet is probably the hardest area to regulate, especially to protect our children. Senate bill number 1965, also known as Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, proposes an effort to protect our children from such cybercrimes produced by online predators and to educate parents in protecting their families from inappropriate materials online. In order to educate the public, the Federal Trade Commission would carry out a nationwide program that provides awareness as well as promoting strategies in safe use of the internet for children. The Commission would provide a yearly report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation describing the activities carried out by the program.

The act also proposes to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group comprised of representatives from the business community and other appropriate groups to evaluate efforts to promote online safety and the practices of service providers in preserving the law in connection with crimes against children. After the first year that this group would convene a report will be submitted to the Committee on Science, Commerce, and Transportation and the Assistant Secretary that would give details of their findings. The report is to also include recommendations to increase effectiveness of any strategies or technologies.

Despite the efforts of the government, there is only so much they can do. It is up to the parents to make sure that their children are practicing safe ways to surf the internet.