Social media has become an important part of our lives today. Friend, stay away, such a system has been created to connect with parents, without which it will be very difficult to live life. But a news has come on this social media which is quite worrying. In America, Snap, the parent company of social media app Snapchat, has been accused of raping a 12-year-old girl by a 25-year-old accused with its help. This incident is considered quite big in itself because SNAP is used extensively in India also. In order to create a stir, people keep sending each other some special and some general news related to their life. In such a situation, the question arises that how safe is social media for children. Why are companies so careless about security? What steps have been taken so far to crack down on them? Let us talk about all these aspects in detail.
First understand the case of America. The company is accused of using Snapchat’s features like Quick Add and Snap Map to trap a 12-year-old girl named JF. Snapchat officials found a book on the dark web that described how the platform’s features could be used to target children and teens. According to a survey by an organization called Heat Initiative, about half of the minor users have seen objectionable or unsafe content and messages on Snapchat in the last one year. At the same time, big social media companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat are also facing legal cases. More than 3,300 cases related to social media addiction and the harm caused by it are going on against these companies in the courts of California state of America.
How sensitive is this matter for India?
Even though SnapTap has been accused in America, this matter is considered very sensitive from India’s point of view as if we talk about user base, India is at the top among them. While in America there are 10.6 crore users of this app, in India there are almost double the number of 20.8 crore users. In such a situation, India should also take this news with a pinch of salt. This app started in the year 2011
working for profit
one on netflix ‘The Social DilemmaThere is a film named ‘, in which full emphasis has been laid on this point and through conversations with experts it has been proved that algorithms actually create an unsafe environment for earning profits. This is more or less supported by a long series of investigations by The Wall Street Journal. The Facebook Files Also does this, which states that Facebook (Meta) knew that their platform was harmful to children, yet they prioritized profits. This means that these companies are playing with the rights of the common man to earn their profits. one on this The Age of Surveillance Capitalism There is also a book named, which has been written by Shoshana Zuboff. This book focuses on how these social media companies have earned and are continuing to earn profits by using people’s experiences as data.
There are continuous lawsuits against social media companies
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram)- The highest number of lawsuits have been filed against Meta worldwide. They have been accused of being negligent in the safety of children, promoting sexual exploitation through the platform, and using harmful algorithms. Hundreds of families in the US have sued Meta, claiming that their platform left minors vulnerable to sexual exploitation and exploitative situations.
- TikTok- TikTok has also faced security related lawsuits around the world. Investigations are going on in many countries, especially regarding children’s privacy and unsafe content. Some lawsuits allege that the platform’s algorithms show content that could push children toward harmful activities and exploitative contacts.
- Twitter (now X)- Since the Elon Musk acquisition, there has been a lot of controversy regarding content moderation on the platform. Child protection groups have accused the platform of being lax in preventing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), due to which it is facing legal challenges in many countries.
Why are social media companies careless about security?
How security became hidden in algorithms
- More people, more money- The owners (companies) of this city know that if a user spends more time on the platform, they will earn more money from advertising. But the problem is that the human brain likes ‘sensational’ things the most. If the algorithm prioritizes peace and security, the user may become bored. Therefore, they unknowingly push content that grabs attention, even if it is unethical.
- The scale is very small- They form such a ‘security team’, but that team is like a drop in the entire ocean. By the time they take action on a complaint, the harmful content has gone viral and reached millions of children.
- Law of avoiding responsibility- These companies work as ‘intermediaries’. She says, “We are just a road; if any crime happens on the road, the company that built the road is not responsible.” This logic has been saving them from fines worth billions of dollars for a long time. If they tighten security too much, the ‘fun’ and ‘expedition’ of the platform will be lost, which could cause their shares to fall.
What should you do to stay safe yourself?
Awareness is your biggest weapon to stay safe in the digital world. Start by tightening your privacy settings and keeping your profile private to limit access to strangers. If your child is under 18 years of age, keep monitoring his phone from time to time to see what he is running and watching. To avoid suggestions from strangers, immediately turn off features like ‘Quick Add’ and for your safety, limit your ‘Live Location’ to only trusted friends. It is most important to be alert, so if you receive any suspicious message, take a screenshot of it without delay and report it to the platform. Remember, instead of silently tolerating any suspicious behavior, reporting it immediately to the relevant platform is the best and responsible way to ensure your safety.
Governments have tightened their grip on social media
It is not that the governments are silent on the attitude of these social media platforms, but their steps still seem inadequate according to its scale. For example, be it the ‘Digital Services Act’ (DSA) of the European Union or the new IT rules of India, it is now being clearly said that social media companies are not just a ‘medium’. If any crime is committed through their platforms then the accountability of the companies will be fixed. However, on all these matters these tech companies will have to give ‘security priority’ in their algorithms. Unless companies make security a part of their code, the possibility of such incidents will remain. In this maze of digital world, we need to understand whether we are using a technology that is safe, or are we simply becoming a part of the profit machine?
Also read- Expensive education and visa trap, why did 30 thousand children leave America in a year?
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