Parents warned online games a ‘honey pot’ for paedophiles

Children as young as six are regularly falling victim to creeps they meet through games, toys and apps.

Online games including Fortnite are “honey pots” for child sex predators who are using the wildly popular platforms to groom Aussie kids.

Children as young as six are falling victim to creeps they meet through games, toys and apps, with the eSafety Commission receiving evidence of “coerced child sexual abuse material” at least once a week.

The scourge has prompted a warning from eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant for parents to carefully consider what internet-connected gadgets they give to their kids this Christmas.

“We’re raising a whole new generation of online gamers and the risk of predation or online grooming is present in any app, game or social media sites … that stimulates social interactions,” she said.

“One very popular example might be Fortnite.

“What we know about paedophiles is they find out where kids are and that’s precisely where they go, like a bear to honey.

“It’s a honey pot for predators.”

Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant addressing the National Press Club in Canberra.

She warned any toy, app or game that used the internet, especially those with chat functions, posed serious risks to kids.

Her office receives evidence of online grooming every week.

“We have children basically being coerced remotely, having been groomed often over a period of weeks or even months to perform sex acts for the camera and the ‘privacy’ of their bedrooms or bathrooms,” Ms Inman Grant said.

“In some of these videos, we can actually hear the parents voices in the next room.”

Ahead of Christmas, she wants parents to think carefully about how they will keep their kids safe before buying tablets, drones, wearable technologies and phones.

A 2019 survey conducted by the commission found four in five parents gave their four-year-old children access to internet-connected items, and two in five by the age of two.

Ms Inman Grant said “digital babysitters” had been around for a long time but there was a big difference between kids watching programmed television and the use of mobile phones and online games.

”If it’s an internet-connected device, you’re essentially opening up your lounge room to the peeking eyes of strangers, or to content or conduct that your child could come across if they’re not properly supervised.

“We’re encouraging parents to speak early and often have age-appropriate conversations and we’ve got lots of pointers and lots of resources about how parents can do that.”

Any toy, app or game that uses the internet poses serious risks to kids.

The Commissioner urged parents to use the parental controls on all devices, apps and games and set time limits for use.

She also advised parents to join in on their kids’ online activities so they knew what was going on.

Cybersafety Minister Paul Fletcher urged parents to use the resources available to them online to inform their decisions this Christmas.

“eSafety’s Gift Guide helps to inform parents and carers about what to look out for with tech gifts.

“It gives practical advice on how you can help keep your kids safe when using tech, such as setting strong passwords or turningoff location settings.”

More information can be found on the e-safety website.

TOP TIPS TO KEEP KIDS SAFE ONLINE

– Use parental controls in apps and devices.

– Set time limits for using devices during non-school hours.

– Keep your kids in open areas of the home when using their devices.

– Turn on privacy settings to restrict who contacts your child in apps and games.

– Join in with your child’s online activities by co-viewing and co-playing.

DRONES

Drones can store personal and financial information about its owner, including credit card numbers or GPS information about the drone’s flights. Drones with cameras pose particular risks to the safety of children.

SMART TOYS AND ROBOTIC TOYS

Smart toys including internet-enabled educational tablets, teddy bears and even Barbie dolls often collect information aboutchildren including their age, gender and location, exposing them to risk of hacking. They can often also record video of audioof children using in-built cameras and microphones.

VIRTUAL REALITY GAMES, WIRELESS GAMING HEADSETS, GAMING MEMBERSHIPS

Multi-player online games can expose children to people from around the world via chat rooms within games. Most also requireheadphones, microphones and sensors that can collect information about children.

SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS

Children can be exposed to inappropriate content and social networking and messaging apps can allow for children to be accessedby predators, as well as enabling the sharing of explicit content. Many apps within phones also allow for children’s locationsto be shared in real-time.

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

Most wearable technologies are linked to programs that collect tracking data including location data that could be hacked into. If any information is inadequately secured, it may be accessed by other people and shared without consent, allowingpredators to contact your child online without you knowing.

SMART HOME TECHNOLOGIES

Data can be collected about families through these technologies, like robot vacuum cleaners creating a digital floor maps of your home and sending it to third parties. While these may not be gifted to kids, they can still pose serious risks to children’s safety.

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