Child abuse risks for $100 laptops?

Today the BBC reported a chilling update about the breakup of a global child abuse network that was run from a family farmhouse in England. Over 700 suspects have been identified and 31 children were rescued--but with over 85,000 images supplied by the mastermind, we may never know how many children were involved.

This news got me thinking about the potential child abuse risks inherent in the One Laptop Per Child initiative and other "$100 laptop" projects. These well-intentioned efforts plan to give computers to poor children throughout the world, to facilitate their education and fuel economic development. Machines are being rolled out by the thousands in test programs in places like Uruguay, Nigeria and Thailand.

In America, even tech-savvy parents have a hard time monitoring children's safe computer use. We are told not to put a computer in our kids' bedrooms, and not to allow them to use webcams. What happens when we bring video-enabled, networked laptops into poor communities, where parents may not be able to read, much less understand how to use technology? My concerns were raised, and when I contacted internet child-safety expert Linda Criddle, who has worked on raising awareness of this issue for a couple of years, she brought up detailed concerns about these efforts.

Criddle says that child pornography is among the "perfect microbusinesses" waiting to explode if laptops are distributed without proper precautions. Criddle warns that "we are about to unleash on the weakest people, children in the third world, the worst that the internet can offer, as well as the best." Unfortunately, she says computer companies do not have safety plans in place, and her warning seems to be falling on deaf ears among industry representatives she has contacted.

Criddle is an independent consultant, author of the book Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet, and a 13-year verteran of Microsoft, where she was the senior product manager for child and personal safety for the MSN division. Criddle has spoken to representatives of Microsoft's internal low-cost PC group, the Grameen Bank's low-cost laptop program, and Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child organization.

She describes the response to her warnings:

"People in the developing world are incredibly resourceful...but you cannot drop them into an environment like the internet and think it will all be for good--that is criminal naivete. I have challenged this with different organizations, and what I have gotten every time, to my utter horror and dismay, is a response like 'Oh gosh, well okay, so we're going to have to think about that, but first we have to get [the machines] out there,' and I'm saying, you had better get the infrastructure in order first, because you are about to do the next version of the powdered milk disaster in Africa. It's going to be horrific, and we can't let that happen."

Criddle says that a comprehensive safety strategy is doable; she has already done considerable work to develop that architecture.

I contacted OLPC about this issue and they could not respond in time to contribute to this piece. I will post their response at a later date if I receive it. On the OLPC wiki I could only find a few paragraphs of cursory Q&A about child safety.

Criddle's requirements sound daunting to me, but necessary, beginning with the fact that many countries have inadequate or nonexistent laws protecting children from abuse and exploitation. Criddle recommends a strategy that encompasses judiciary reform, law enforcement training, and comprehensive parent training, in addition to training the kids themselves about what is truly at stake. She says, "Handing a laptop to a child is the last step in building a positive environment for internet use." Safeguards need to be in place within the computers themselves, peripheral devices, and in the software and services they will use.

This is a tall order, but in a world where economic realities still lead some parents to sell one daughter into sexual servitude in order to feed the rest of the family, we cannot afford to unleash new communication technology without thoroughly considering the consequences. As we move to improve the quality of life and opportunity for education of youth in the developing works, we must begin by living the motto "first, do no harm."

[Note: This article solely reflects the reporting and opinion of Amy Tiemann. It does not reflect the opinion of her husband Michael or his employer, Red Hat, which is a sponsor of the OLPC initiative.]

[cnobody]

Supporting evidence?

I don't see anything more than a hand-waving "Criddle says" to support the idea that cheap web-enabled laptops in the hands of children will lead to child abuse. Given the motivation, such hardware might ease production. However, I do not see how they would provide the abuser with either additional motivation or additional coercive power. Absent the coercion, I don't see the danger.

Kids who haven't already been abused simply will not sit down at the machine and start making porn on their own. If any children do so, the question is not whether they have already been sexually abused, but by whom. In that case, perhaps any such public acting-out enabled by the new machines should be regarded as an opportunity for intervention.

(These oppinions are my own. They have no known relationship to those of my employer, or anyone else for that matter.)

[cnobody]

Supporting evidence?

I don't see anything more than a hand-waving "Criddle says" to support the idea that cheap web-enabled laptops in the hands of children will lead to child abuse. Given the motivation, such hardware might ease production. However, I do not see how they would provide the abuser with either additional motivation or additional coercive power. Absent the coercion, I don't see the danger.

Kids who haven't already been abused simply will not sit down at the machine and start making porn on their own. If any children do so, the question is not whether they have already been sexually abused, but by whom. In that case, perhaps any such public acting-out enabled by the new machines should be regarded as an opportunity for intervention.

(These oppinions are my own. They have no known relationship to those of my employer, or anyone else for that matter.)

[mojomom]

Clear and present danger

To cnobody, the fact that you don't see a clear and present danger for kids being potentially exploited through laptops shocks me. A networked computer, a video camera, a connection to an online money transfer system--what could be a simpler or more obviously risky situation, especially when societies come online for the first time and encounter the developed net? The tech community needs to take a step back and look at these very real dangers. Many countries don't have even have adequate laws or enforcement protecting against child exploitation or pornography. Putting kids online exposes them to a whole new world of predation. Putting the most economically vulnerable kids online without proper safeguards is a recipe for disaster. Safeguards need to go throughout the whole society, including the judiciary, law enforcement, educators and parents. Yes, this is a huge set of responsibilities to take on and points to many thorny paradoxes of economic develop. But online child exploitation is a predictable risk and not one we should expose kids to without thorough precautions. The low-cost laptop groups say they want to help kids and families lead better lives, so how can they ignore these fundamental issues?

[cnobody]

payment? not so easy

"a connection to an online money transfer system"

In a rural 3rd-world village? Even the rich families don't have bank accounts, or the means to open them. The "whole new world of predation" can't pay locals to carry out their abuse.

Aside from that, the laptops are designed with the idea that they quite likely won't have internet access - rather, they connect to a mesh network of other similar devices nearby, which may or may not have any sort of uplink to the broader world.

I'd be a lot more worried about the many other dangers children face in 3rd-world countries. These places also don't have child neglect or child labor laws. In many of them, domestic child slavery is common, because parents who can't support their own children are willing to give them up for nothing more than the promise of regular meals.

I don't know whether OLPC can actually make a dent in the underlying poverty that leads to these conditions, but I doubt it makes any statistically significant increase in the number of children whose lives are miserable.

[mojomom]

Clear and present danger

To cnobody, the fact that you don't see a clear and present danger for kids being potentially exploited through laptops shocks me. A networked computer, a video camera, a connection to an online money transfer system--what could be a simpler or more obviously risky situation, especially when societies come online for the first time and encounter the developed net? The tech community needs to take a step back and look at these very real dangers. Many countries don't have even have adequate laws or enforcement protecting against child exploitation or pornography. Putting kids online exposes them to a whole new world of predation. Putting the most economically vulnerable kids online without proper safeguards is a recipe for disaster. Safeguards need to go throughout the whole society, including the judiciary, law enforcement, educators and parents. Yes, this is a huge set of responsibilities to take on and points to many thorny paradoxes of economic develop. But online child exploitation is a predictable risk and not one we should expose kids to without thorough precautions. The low-cost laptop groups say they want to help kids and families lead better lives, so how can they ignore these fundamental issues?

[cnobody]

payment? not so easy

"a connection to an online money transfer system"

In a rural 3rd-world village? Even the rich families don't have bank accounts, or the means to open them. The "whole new world of predation" can't pay locals to carry out their abuse.

Aside from that, the laptops are designed with the idea that they quite likely won't have internet access - rather, they connect to a mesh network of other similar devices nearby, which may or may not have any sort of uplink to the broader world.

I'd be a lot more worried about the many other dangers children face in 3rd-world countries. These places also don't have child neglect or child labor laws. In many of them, domestic child slavery is common, because parents who can't support their own children are willing to give them up for nothing more than the promise of regular meals.

I don't know whether OLPC can actually make a dent in the underlying poverty that leads to these conditions, but I doubt it makes any statistically significant increase in the number of children whose lives are miserable.

[umbrae]

Don't you have to be ON the internet

These labtops are being distributed in places without phone lines or electricity (hence the pull string batteries. If pedophiles can get to these children through huddles like that, then I doubt anything would stop them.

Sounds like people are getting worked up over nothing.

[umbrae]

Don't you have to be ON the internet

These labtops are being distributed in places without phone lines or electricity (hence the pull string batteries. If pedophiles can get to these children through huddles like that, then I doubt anything would stop them.

Sounds like people are getting worked up over nothing.

[gefitz]

Forgive my cynicism, but...

I think its naive of anyone to associate the true impetus behind the development of the "$100 computer" as anything but a push to open up markets, cheaply, in those areas where the current economic situation forbids is.

Let's not be deceived into believing that the reason these things are being developed is a pure worldwide "public service" to provide infrastructure to those places that currently cannot afford it. While that may be a nice side-effect, we cannot expect the companies involved in purely commercial enterprises to necessarily pay much attention to social ramifications associated with their endeeavors.

Not that they shouldn't, but I guess that's a question for the Poli-Sci philosophers to gnash their teeth over eh?

[gefitz]

Forgive my cynicism, but...

I think its naive of anyone to associate the true impetus behind the development of the "$100 computer" as anything but a push to open up markets, cheaply, in those areas where the current economic situation forbids is.

Let's not be deceived into believing that the reason these things are being developed is a pure worldwide "public service" to provide infrastructure to those places that currently cannot afford it. While that may be a nice side-effect, we cannot expect the companies involved in purely commercial enterprises to necessarily pay much attention to social ramifications associated with their endeeavors.

Not that they shouldn't, but I guess that's a question for the Poli-Sci philosophers to gnash their teeth over eh?

[rutabagaman]

Here We Go Again

What a bunch of technophobic fear-mongering garbage! Guess what--computers are not equivalent to child porn.

I can understand how making these computers available could provide a whole new audience for internet scams and the like. But child abuse? Please.

[rutabagaman]

Here We Go Again

What a bunch of technophobic fear-mongering garbage! Guess what--computers are not equivalent to child porn.

I can understand how making these computers available could provide a whole new audience for internet scams and the like. But child abuse? Please.

[beauatwebwatch]

Basic Safety and Security Tips

Two types of safety are at issue here -- safety and security of the user, and of the PC.

The important issues for young users to remember are: Don't give up personal information in chat groups and forums that would allow identification (home address, home phone). Carefully read safety tips and terms and conditions published on the better social networking sites (Club Penguin, FaceBook, etc.) Don't agree to meet strangers. Resist posting provocative material about yourself in personal profile pages. The State of Florida has an excellent, much more comprehensive list here:
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Fc3/cyberstalking.html

The most important PC security issues are: Make sure the laptop has an active anti-virus program; a spyware removal tool; has the latest version of its operating system; and if so enabled, a firewall. For PCs, software and security updates are available mostly for free from Microsoft. If the laptops are new and come with the Vista OS, that's good, because that software addresses a range of common problems in previous Microsoft products.

You can get these for free:

Virus and malware protection from Avast!
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Spyware tool from Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

Beau Brendler, Director
Consumer Reports WebWatch
http://blog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/

[beauatwebwatch]

Basic Safety and Security Tips

Two types of safety are at issue here -- safety and security of the user, and of the PC.

The important issues for young users to remember are: Don't give up personal information in chat groups and forums that would allow identification (home address, home phone). Carefully read safety tips and terms and conditions published on the better social networking sites (Club Penguin, FaceBook, etc.) Don't agree to meet strangers. Resist posting provocative material about yourself in personal profile pages. The State of Florida has an excellent, much more comprehensive list here:
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Fc3/cyberstalking.html

The most important PC security issues are: Make sure the laptop has an active anti-virus program; a spyware removal tool; has the latest version of its operating system; and if so enabled, a firewall. For PCs, software and security updates are available mostly for free from Microsoft. If the laptops are new and come with the Vista OS, that's good, because that software addresses a range of common problems in previous Microsoft products.

You can get these for free:

Virus and malware protection from Avast!
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Spyware tool from Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

Beau Brendler, Director
Consumer Reports WebWatch
http://blog.consumerwebwatch.org/theunsponsoredlink/

[dsync]

What is wrong with you people.

This has to be one of the most ignorant self-important posts I have ever seen. You want to deny the learning capability, resources, and opportunity these laptops will bring to millions of impoverished children because your afraid of the incredibly remote possibility of child abuse through the computer? Let me go write an article about the dangers of choking so we can deny starving people food as well. It is so well thought out too, completely ignoring the fact that within their respective communities the child abusers will lack computers themselves, compound that by the fact that in some of these countries, children are married off as young as 12.... I mean come on.... The blogger has obviously never comprehended the true situation of people living in poverty... The only word for your argument is ignorance.

[dsync]

What is wrong with you people.

This has to be one of the most ignorant self-important posts I have ever seen. You want to deny the learning capability, resources, and opportunity these laptops will bring to millions of impoverished children because your afraid of the incredibly remote possibility of child abuse through the computer? Let me go write an article about the dangers of choking so we can deny starving people food as well. It is so well thought out too, completely ignoring the fact that within their respective communities the child abusers will lack computers themselves, compound that by the fact that in some of these countries, children are married off as young as 12.... I mean come on.... The blogger has obviously never comprehended the true situation of people living in poverty... The only word for your argument is ignorance.

[phantomsoul]

Let's Face It

As terrible as it may sound, kids in third world countries wouldn't be in any significantly more danger on the Internet due to insufficient supervision than they would be in the physical world. And while it may be something worth considering (and educated child that cannot be protected from harm is kind of moot, no?), I hardly think it's reason to stop the presses on the laptop program.

[phantomsoul]

Let's Face It

As terrible as it may sound, kids in third world countries wouldn't be in any significantly more danger on the Internet due to insufficient supervision than they would be in the physical world. And while it may be something worth considering (and educated child that cannot be protected from harm is kind of moot, no?), I hardly think it's reason to stop the presses on the laptop program.

[eugenevdm]

Africa is very far behind

Before you express an opinion about sexual abuse you should go and visit Africa and see what $100 can get you.

One should also take into account the underdeveloped state of telecommunications and some of the highest Internet usage rates in the world. Only now is Africa waking up, and projects such as these will give Africa's populations immense benefits far outweighing most risks.

[eugenevdm]

Africa is very far behind

Before you express an opinion about sexual abuse you should go and visit Africa and see what $100 can get you.

One should also take into account the underdeveloped state of telecommunications and some of the highest Internet usage rates in the world. Only now is Africa waking up, and projects such as these will give Africa's populations immense benefits far outweighing most risks.

[mojomom]

There is a thoughtful and safe way to do it....

I am not against the laptop projects overall. Far from it. I do think it's essential to look before we leap and consider these risks, and put safeguards in place before giving out the machines. I have not seen much official thought about these issues coming from the low-cost laptop projects. If anyone can point me to a comprehensive safety plan coming from these organizations please let me know. I see a lot more on the OLPC wiki about UNIX security than I do about child safety. OLPC says on the wiki page about Ask a Question about Social Issues, "First answer is that we are designing a laptop that functions without any Internet access whatsoever. In many of the areas it will be deployed, the Internet is either unavailable or too expensive for educational use." I believe that what this means is that laptops will be linked in a local mesh network that may or may not connect up to the Internet. OLPC again: "Second answer is that the educators who will be teaching the kids are being made aware of this potential issue." That's all I could find on this issue, and that's not enough.

[mojomom]

There is a thoughtful and safe way to do it....

I am not against the laptop projects overall. Far from it. I do think it's essential to look before we leap and consider these risks, and put safeguards in place before giving out the machines. I have not seen much official thought about these issues coming from the low-cost laptop projects. If anyone can point me to a comprehensive safety plan coming from these organizations please let me know. I see a lot more on the OLPC wiki about UNIX security than I do about child safety. OLPC says on the wiki page about Ask a Question about Social Issues, "First answer is that we are designing a laptop that functions without any Internet access whatsoever. In many of the areas it will be deployed, the Internet is either unavailable or too expensive for educational use." I believe that what this means is that laptops will be linked in a local mesh network that may or may not connect up to the Internet. OLPC again: "Second answer is that the educators who will be teaching the kids are being made aware of this potential issue." That's all I could find on this issue, and that's not enough.