Internet Safety Across the Globe
As Internet Safety Month approaches in June, it’s encouraging to see that Internet safety issues are increasingly beginning to resonate throughout the globe.
As global broadband usage continues to grow in all regions of the world, so do worries about the harmful elements, such as online pornography, that grow exponentially in scope and reach with the conversion from dial-up to broadband connections.
Broadband is a necessity for online pornography, as well as video-chatting and web cam services, and as more regions around the world see broadband penetration rise and reach the general public, governments are responding to the growing threat.
Here are some quick stats on broadband use worldwide:
- From 2000 to 2008, broadband usage in Asia went up 474 percent, and a whopping 1,100 percent in Africa.
- Buddecom estimates that increased broadband usage in Australia (up just 172 percent from 2000-2008) will add over $100 billion to the Australian economy.
- A wave of major submarine cable systems linking Asia, Africa, and Europe will enter service in 2009 and 2010.
What these statistics tell us is that broadband is becoming an increasingly common service worldwide, and many nations are already crafting strategies on how to deal with it.
The Republic of the Philippines is taking a strong stance against both child pornography and online pornography in general. There are currently seven anti-child pornography bills and five anti-pornography bills pending in the Philippine House of Representatives.
In Israel, a recent article mentioned that an Internet cafe had opened private booths for young men to view pornography, something expressly forbidden for orthodox Jews. The problem of pornography is very much in the forefront, as Ya’acov will attest to. Ya’acov, a computer programmer, has established www.guardyoureyes.com to help Jewish men deal with pornography addictions and stay true to their faith.
In Zambia, the Communications and Transport Minister Felix Mutati recognized in a recent article the danger that the Internet presents especially to children. The article goes on to say that families should consider installing filtering software on their home computers.
Many countries, such as Australia, have already taken the lead by offering our filtering technology to their citizens free of charge. As the use of broadband spreads, and offers the world a greater chance to participate in both the information revolution and the global economy, it will be interesting to see how other countries deal with the accompanying threat.
Filed under: Internet Safety News
This needs to be addressed more than once a year. There are so many dangers online that could result in death.