Child pornography: Two words that make you cry. However, we hear them very often lately, as it seems that the quarantine restrictions have intensified the already insatiable appetites of pedophiles who are spreading their nets farther and farther away, in the real and digital world.
Τι σημαίνουν πραγματικά; Ποιοι κρύβονται από πίσω τους; Τι πρέπει να ξέρουμε ως parents γι'αυτές και πώς θα προστατεύσουμε τα παιδιά μας; Είχαμε μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα συζήτηση με τον ethical hacker cyberkid (Anastasi Vassiliadis), who deals specifically with child safety on the internet, and it makes sense to listen to what he has to tell us…
First of all, tell us how you decided to deal with child safety issues on the internet?
Taking on the whole spectrum of issues related to internet safety, child safety information could not be missing. Involvement of parents in their children's internet use is in most cases non-existent. So one has to take on this part as well. Many parents have very limited knowledge of computers and the internet. They are possessed by a phobia of using technology that often leads to indifference.
How exactly does the child pornography circuit work, how "bad" are things in Greece? What is the presence of our country on the dark web?
Most of the time, the abusers present themselves as children in forums and chats related to the videosgames με σκοπό να προσελκύσουν τα θύματά τους πιο εύκολα. Προσπαθούν να συλλέξουν όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερες information, με απώτερο σκοπό να τα plusαντήσουν. Υπάρχουν, όμως, και άλλες περιπτώσεις παιδόφιλων, που πλησιάζουν τα παιδιά στα πάρκα με την ατάκα «Η μαμά σου μου ζήτησε να σε πάω σπίτι» ή «Θέλεις να γίνεις μοντέλο;» και έτσι καταφέρνουν να τα κερδίσουν. Ευτυχώς στη χώρα μας δεν είναι τόσο έντονη η δραστηριότητα σε αυτόν τον τομέα όσον αφορά το dark web. Δεν είχαμε στο παρελθόν τέτοιες περιπτώσεις από Έλληνες παιδόφιλους και μακάρι να μην υπάρξουν και στο μέλλον.
In your experience, what are the most common and dangerous mistakes parents make? After all, is it so bad to post photos of your kids online?
A common problem identified by parents is the lack of boundaries in their relationship with their children. A category of parents is created, the so-called "weekend parents", who due to the fact that the rest of the days of the week have not devoted quality time, those two days they will spend with their children, due to regrets, allow them anything by opening thus paving the way for an uncontrollable situation which includes internet addiction. Posting photos of your child is not a bad thing. The bad thing is that all his online friends know at any time what he is doing and where he is. His daily schedule and all his activities. In this way the child becomes an easy victim.
What dangers threaten adolescent users?
The dangers are many with the most important being the addiction to playing online games. Even online gambling, as well as social networking sites, where young people today spend a large part of their day on social media, as they now consider it the new way of communicating and having fun with their friends and strangers.
Do you cooperate with the police? Do you help to "expose" the traffickers of pornographic material? Tell us about the "journey" of such a photo.
I have previously worked with cybercrime prosecutors in the area of child pornography, discovering some people who trafficked photos and videos with minors to one of Tor's most popular pages. These people did not seem to know how to hide their traces and it was only a matter of time before they were arrested by the authorities.
Αναφορικά με το πώς λειτουργούν online οι παιδόφιλοι, ο κανόνας είναι ότι είτε βρίσκουν online φωτογραφίες των παιδιών είτε μπαίνουν σε chat παιδιών, παρουσιάζονται ως έφηβοι, και αφού γίνουν «φίλοι» ζητούν γυμνές φωτογραφίες τους. Με αυτές έπειτα εκβιάζουν τα παιδιά, ζητώντας money.
Alternatively, with the pornographic material they enter various websites of such content, usually in Tor, create an account and start "uploading" it, for the food of other pedophiles.
How is raw pornography produced, however? There is a case e.g. to grab a child just to photograph or videotape him in obscene poses?
I have never heard of a kidnapping for the purpose of obscene photography. I have heard about selling a child or his organs, but not about photography - after all, what does that mean? The child will not speak later?
In most cases, obscene material is produced by the parents themselves who photograph their children. From time to time we have had such incidents in Greece. They photograph them naked (at best) and then sell their photographs. They do it either for money or to satisfy their anomaly. However, most child pornography sites charge money to upload such material.
What do parents need to know to protect their children?
Parents should first devote time to their children. Be by their side and watch their every move. Watch them discreetly, so that at any time they can intervene if their child needs help. Their children should not argue in the slightest, so that the child himself feels comfortable talking to his parents if something is bothering him or bothering him. Be honest about parental control.
Talk openly with their children about the dangers of the internet. Set limits on children's daily activities in front of their cell phone or computer screen. If you follow these small other very important steps, you will greatly reduce the risks of children on the internet.
