• The increasing connectivity can transform children’s lives for the better.
• It can also make them vulnerable to sexual abuse, online harassment and bullying, recruitment by extremist groups, and other risks.
Image: FILE
How many hours do your children spend online on a daily basis?
It could be three or four hours. Well, your children could get exposed to sexual abuse, online harassment and bullying, and recruitment by extremist groups, among other risks.
This is according to a report by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development released on Tuesday. The UN has backed the study, which was conducted by the commission’s working group on Child Online Safety, comprising senior representatives from the UN, non-governmental organisations, law enforcement agencies, regulators and private companies.
It underlines the need for everyone to ensure children remain safe as they explore “the digital world”.
“It takes a village to keep children safe both online and offline. Therefore, all the stakeholders need to prioritise children, collaborate and generate collective actions to prevent and address all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation of children online,” the report says.
The report notes that the rising Internet connectivity has the potential to transform children’s lives for the better, but also make them vulnerable.
For instance, in just one year, the Internet Watch Foundation had found more than 105,000 websites hosting child sexual abuse material.
The report wants countries to take immediate action, as no government has developed fully effective protection systems.
On May 16, 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta assented to the Computer and Cybercrimes Bill, 2017. The law imposes hefty fines and long prison sentences to cyberbullies and false newsdealers.
Clause 12 of the law says publishing of false or fictitious information attracts a Sh5 million fine or a two-year jail term.
Those who hack computers will face a Sh5 million fine or a three-year jail term, or both, for unauthorised access, interference, interception, and disclosure of passwords and cyber espionage.
The new law also deals with computer forgery, fraud, cyber harassment, identity theft and impersonation, among others.
It establishes the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee whose role includes facilitating international cooperation in dealing with computer crimes.
The report said the 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide new opportunities to address violence against children.
"The SDG 16.2 — ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence (physical, psychological and sexual) against and torture of children by 2030 — will not be reached without addressing the role of the broadband to combat these illegal activities affecting children," it warns.
It also highlights the differences in Internet access depending on where young people live. Globally, there are more than two million people under the age of 18.
Unicef estimates that 71 per cent of the youth are already online, with millions waiting to log in. Currently, 60 per cent of young Africans are not online, but the number of users on the continent is growing by 20 per cent a year.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, connectivity has not yet reached all children. With the expansion of affordable broadband to these parts of the developing world, there is an urgent need to put in place measures to minimise the risks and threats to these children, while also allowing them to capitalise on all the benefits the digital world can bring to our societies,” the report said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)