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This year marked the 15th Safer Internet Day – the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety run by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) – which we’ve supported for several years now. We’ve funded the UKSIC’s vital work since 2021, when we pledged £5.1 million to support the organisation in making the internet a safe, inclusive and positive space for children and young people.
Each year, Safer Internet Day highlights an online issue relevant to young people’s experiences. The focus for this year was online scams, how young people can protect themselves and others, and the support available to them.
We were honoured to attend and speak at the event. It featured activities, stands and speeches by young people that experience the harms that we – as an industry – are trying to tackle.
But what brought the entire event into sharp focus was an incredible speech by a 17-year old member of the Childnet Youth Advisory Board, Kainat, who had seen firsthand the serious impact that online scams can have on her friends and peers.
Kainat shed light on the common scams targeting young people and the emotional and financial impact they can cause. What’s more, she warned that as new technologies like AI emerge, scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder for young people to detect. “Scams can be harder to spot as new technology is used, because knowledge and resources on these are quite limited,” she explained.
She gave examples of phishing tactics and how they’re carried out on social media platforms and described online job and modelling scams that promise fame and fortune in exchange for personal information – but only lead to exploitation and financial loss.
Recent research by Parent Zone, who lead a Child Financial Harms programme funded by Nominet, found that about a quarter of children who spend money online have experienced financial harm online, according to their parents. Among those parents whose child experienced problems whilst online involving money, 19% made a purchase and didn’t receive the item, 14% had money taken from their account without their permission, and 8% had been offered money in exchange for naked images. Meanwhile, research by UKSIC revealed that 79% of 8 to 17-year-olds come across scams online at least once a month, almost half (45%) at least once a week, and 20% see scams online every day.
The consequences of falling victim to these scams can be severe. Kainat noted that young people often feel overwhelming emotions like embarrassment, vulnerability and isolation. Many are reluctant to admit what happened or to seek help, fearing judgment from peers or adults. The financial impact can be just as devastating.
The loss of money, whether it’s in-game currency or real funds, can lead to feelings of frustration, anger, regret and self-blame in young victims. Kainat emphasised that schools, parents and the tech industry all have a critical role to play in protecting young people. Some of the solutions she proposed included interactive education on spotting scams, stronger verification processes, and tougher laws.
It was certainly a strong speech.
Paul Fletcher, Nominet’s Chief Executive Officer agreed with Kainat’s points:
“Keeping the internet safe is an evolving threat that’s going to require all of us in the room and broader society to work together, and that’s why I think events like today are so very important.
“It’s an opportunity for us to listen to each other’s experiences, concerns and ideas for a safer internet, and to understand the changes that young people want to see in this ecosystem.” – Paul Fletcher, CEO, Nominet
At Nominet, we work hard to keep the .UK namespace secure and to reduce criminal activity – from collaborating with law enforcement to suspend scam websites and sharing threat intelligence with other registries, to our funding that enables vital work to deter potential offenders, and assess and remove child sexual abuse material from the internet 112% faster than before.
While the event was a great celebration of Safer Internet Day, it served as a reminder that scams are inflicting a heavy toll on the next generation. But by coming together to empower and support young victims, we can work to safeguard them online.
If you want support in speaking to a young person in your life about staying safe from online scams, the UKSIC has created a range of resources to help. You can find these, along with additional support and materials, on the UKSIC website.
The post Safer Internet Day: Youth voices shaping the fight against online scams appeared first on Nominet.
Continue reading...
Each year, Safer Internet Day highlights an online issue relevant to young people’s experiences. The focus for this year was online scams, how young people can protect themselves and others, and the support available to them.
We were honoured to attend and speak at the event. It featured activities, stands and speeches by young people that experience the harms that we – as an industry – are trying to tackle.
But what brought the entire event into sharp focus was an incredible speech by a 17-year old member of the Childnet Youth Advisory Board, Kainat, who had seen firsthand the serious impact that online scams can have on her friends and peers.
Kainat shed light on the common scams targeting young people and the emotional and financial impact they can cause. What’s more, she warned that as new technologies like AI emerge, scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder for young people to detect. “Scams can be harder to spot as new technology is used, because knowledge and resources on these are quite limited,” she explained.
She gave examples of phishing tactics and how they’re carried out on social media platforms and described online job and modelling scams that promise fame and fortune in exchange for personal information – but only lead to exploitation and financial loss.
Recent research by Parent Zone, who lead a Child Financial Harms programme funded by Nominet, found that about a quarter of children who spend money online have experienced financial harm online, according to their parents. Among those parents whose child experienced problems whilst online involving money, 19% made a purchase and didn’t receive the item, 14% had money taken from their account without their permission, and 8% had been offered money in exchange for naked images. Meanwhile, research by UKSIC revealed that 79% of 8 to 17-year-olds come across scams online at least once a month, almost half (45%) at least once a week, and 20% see scams online every day.
The consequences of falling victim to these scams can be severe. Kainat noted that young people often feel overwhelming emotions like embarrassment, vulnerability and isolation. Many are reluctant to admit what happened or to seek help, fearing judgment from peers or adults. The financial impact can be just as devastating.
The loss of money, whether it’s in-game currency or real funds, can lead to feelings of frustration, anger, regret and self-blame in young victims. Kainat emphasised that schools, parents and the tech industry all have a critical role to play in protecting young people. Some of the solutions she proposed included interactive education on spotting scams, stronger verification processes, and tougher laws.
It was certainly a strong speech.
Paul Fletcher, Nominet’s Chief Executive Officer agreed with Kainat’s points:
“Keeping the internet safe is an evolving threat that’s going to require all of us in the room and broader society to work together, and that’s why I think events like today are so very important.
“It’s an opportunity for us to listen to each other’s experiences, concerns and ideas for a safer internet, and to understand the changes that young people want to see in this ecosystem.” – Paul Fletcher, CEO, Nominet
At Nominet, we work hard to keep the .UK namespace secure and to reduce criminal activity – from collaborating with law enforcement to suspend scam websites and sharing threat intelligence with other registries, to our funding that enables vital work to deter potential offenders, and assess and remove child sexual abuse material from the internet 112% faster than before.
While the event was a great celebration of Safer Internet Day, it served as a reminder that scams are inflicting a heavy toll on the next generation. But by coming together to empower and support young victims, we can work to safeguard them online.
If you want support in speaking to a young person in your life about staying safe from online scams, the UKSIC has created a range of resources to help. You can find these, along with additional support and materials, on the UKSIC website.
The post Safer Internet Day: Youth voices shaping the fight against online scams appeared first on Nominet.
Continue reading...
