Internet and Beyond
Is it the people or is it the Internet to be blamed for all the mess, unlawful activities, cybercrimes, and even the addiction?
I often felt like there’s a lot more on the Internet than just what we know of. The question raised curiosity in me to find out what’s actually on the Internet, and even more- what’s with the Dark Web? It all started with a project I’ve been working on. I’m always captivated by technology. I feel like, technology is always the right weapon in the wrong hands. Like, we all have a weapon in our hands and the only thing that differs us from “the warriors” is that they know how to use this weapon, and we don’t YET. It doesn’t take much time for destruction, but all it takes is a skill. And guess what? The skill is being used for the evil, and not even the ‘bad’ stands a place in the room.
As a part of my research on “how kids are being influenced by the technology”, I started to learn things- from how music is influencing teens, to how movies are creating revolutions; how social media is being a threat, to how many kids are being exposed to Cyberbullying; how videogames are causing addiction, to how they’re leading to the DEATH of the so called “gamer”. I was devastated by what I saw. It’s that point when I wondered if I was a victim of the technology too. In fact, I was and am too. It’s no big wonder why your child is being exposed to Cyberbullying or other content on the Internet that they’re not ready for. So my question to you, Parent, is that “Are you aware of the fact that you are supposed to put parental control on your child’s device and monitor his social media until he’s like, at least 13?”
The Internet can also be used for advantages like e-shopping, academic purposes, movies, news, and others. They surely have a use, but why don’t you realize the fact that pornography is one of the most searched/available things on the Internet. So think again, do you think your child is safe from them? There are even illegal movie, music, books, and torrent downloading sites on the Internet. Kids easily fall for phishing attacks, cyber predators, malware prompts, scams, unsolicited messages, and even pornography. In the 21st century, it is obvious that there’s a lot of fake news hovering around us. Did you hear the rumors about Marilyn Manson’s ribs or the woman that sued Samsung for $1.8M? Fake news spread faster than a wildfire. This is a world where a lie is believed to be true, and the truth is presumed for a lie and now you are confused if this is a truth or a lie.
Moving on to the topic, what most of you are curious about- Dark Web is a well-hyped-up term. I prefer “Illegal Internet” though. There’s nothing new about it. Whatever you’ve heard about it is true, except that it has proofs of the existence of God and Unicorns. Not that you’ve heard about them, but they don’t exist. What else is on the dark web? Hitman services, Drugs, Hackers for hire, Weapons, Stolen goods including electronic devices, Copyrighted books, movies, and music, Exploitation (including physical abuse), Human Butchering, Pornography, CSAM/CP, and many others.
Yes! You’ve heard it right and whatever is going through your mind is right. I’ve seen them all, and I want to admit that I was not ready for the last ones. I didn’t even dare to look at what’s beyond them if there’s any. The term “dark” might sound fun, and cool but in a literal sense, it is DARK. At first, I was curious to know why it attracts young people, but in the end, I’m worried for them. It’s creepy to look at how people are using their skills for evil.
Finally, I just want to leave y’all with a piece of advice- Be Careful.
What did I do then?
As I said, I wasn’t ready for any of them and I was scared at first. I did take a couple of screenshots to report them, and also include the pixelated images of them on the article, but they’re so real to be included. Later, I thought they shouldn’t be on my computer and have saved them on my Google account so that I can delete them on my PC. And that’s how my Google account got disabled. I’ve tried reporting them about the situation, but they said it was against their policy. So, I’ve got rid of them on my PC and also got rid of my Google Account. The second one wasn’t a choice.
A couple of weeks ago, I’ve seen many posts about signing a petition for referring to it as CSAM, and not CP. That’s when I had messaged Child Rescue Coalition on Instagram, and they’ve asked me to report a complaint at the NCMEC’s website. I did as they asked me to do, and it’s been over a week now. I then overwrote my PC so that people couldn’t get it when they back it up, if I ever trade this for a new one.
I’m not talking bad about Google, but how many of you know that your data on Google isn’t Private? Gmail is not end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp, and a hacker can get access to all of your emails, and other data. It’s not to stalk people, that Google does it, but they value Public Safety over Private Data. So the real question would be, Do Public Safety and Private Data cancel each other out? Isn’t Privacy a fundamental right?
What should you do when you come across content on the Internet that is “DARK”?
Probably taking a screenshot of it wouldn’t be the perfect idea to start with. You can search for the organization that takes action against what you’ve seen. For example, you can report the Spammy Content, Paid Links Scam, Malware, or the Phishing websites here at the Google Search Central; and Cyberbullying, CSAM/CP content, and other illegal content that pose a danger to Children at NCMEC’s CyberTipLine Report here. There are websites specific to each nation that allow for reports to be filed anonymously. You can have a copy of the website until you report it and make sure you DON’T share it with your friends or other peers. Talk to an adult if you’re under 18 and have concerns after seeing sensitive or explicit material.
Finally, call/email them regularly to get regular follow-ups on your report, because it is as important as reporting a crime, to ensure if it was corrected or at least revised.
Acronyms used:
CSAM-Child Sexual Abuse Material
CP-Child Pornography
NCMEC-National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
