• Legacy
  • Academy
  • Business
  • PayTech
  • Ignite
  • Cellcos
  • Wired
  • CovidTech
  • Library
  • Touch Base
Subscribe
CW Pakistan

Computerworld Pakistan

CW Pakistan
  • Legacy
  • Academy
  • Business
  • PayTech
  • Ignite
  • Cellcos
  • Wired
  • CovidTech
  • Library
  • Touch Base
  • Cellcos

PTA Launches Digital Safety Guide to Protect Against Online Groomers/Abusers

  • November 21, 2022
  • Sub Editor
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) released “Online Safety Guide, Safe Use of Social Media” which offers guidance on the risks one might face online, and some advice on how to stay secure & responsible and maintain a positive digital footprint.

Anything that is uploaded and shared online such as a photo, video, or text is content. While a lot of content online is positive in nature, there is a plethora of content that can cause distress or emotional harm.

Online spaces are being used by predators and other bad actors to accelerate illegal and harmful activity in an unprecedented way. There is a chance that you might meet people online that aren’t who they say they are. Grooming is a word to describe the tactics abusers use via the internet to sexually exploit and manipulate young people and children.

How Does Online Grooming Happen
  • Young people can sometimes end up trusting abusers whose real identities they may not know
  • Online groomers may pretend to be someone else online

Groomers use social media platforms popular with young people and pretend to be one of them. They select their victim based on perceived vulnerability and attempt to befriend them by pretending to share similar hobbies or interests, using someone else’s pictures, offering gifts or followers, and sharing “secrets”.

  • Building trust between themselves and their victim

Once the groomer gains the victim’s trust, they may ask for explicit pictures or videos from the young person. They will try to emotionally blackmail the victim and threaten to block them if they say no to such requests. The victim may feel helpless and end up sharing intimate pictures – which can be used for extortion later by the groomer.

  • The groomer can be someone you already know

Online groomers may be somebody the victim has already met through their family or through the social circle. They will further use the internet to build a relationship with their victim. Groomers can pretend to be charismatic, kind, and occasionally helpful and young people may not realize that they are being groomed

Where Can Online Grooming Happen?

Online predators will target children and young adults on platforms and apps that young people are most likely to use (including job forums and gaming sites). They may also appear to be the same age as their victim. The predator will often start a friendly conversation or offer advice to gain the victim’s trust before asking them for their phone number to chat privately.

Warning Signs

The person contacting you online could be a stranger or someone you already know or have met. They can be someone who is older or close to your age. Predators will also lie about their gender, where they live, and their actual motivations.

Here are some warning signs:

  • You feel uncomfortable— predators will test boundaries and ask intrusive questions from their victims.
  • Trust your instincts. They tell you their webcam or video app is not working — the online groomer might pretend to be someone else. They say that their webcam or video app is not working so you cannot see what they really look like.
  • They make inappropriate comments about your appearance or body— and ask for personal pictures of you or those of your family members/friends. Be careful of anyone online who gives lots of compliments for no reason.
  • They contact you multiple times and in different ways — for example, you meet them on Reddit then they ask for your phone number and start direct messaging you.
  • They insist on a meeting — they might say they want to see you in person and will act angry/distant or call you a “bad” friend if you don’t agree.
  • They want to keep it private — people who want to harm you do not want other people to know about them. They may ask you to only contact them when you are alone.
  • They ask you for favors/money etc. — Once trust has been established, the groomer might ask the victim for money or other favors. They will make false claims and promises about their relationship with the victim to get what they want.
How to Protect Yourself from Unwanted Contact
  • Make your accounts private

By adjusting your privacy settings, you can stay in control of who sees what you post online and who can contact you directly

  • Delete contacts

Go through your social media friends and followers list. Check if you actually know them. Delete contacts that look suspicious or have not posted in a while.

  • Screenshot evidence

Take screenshots of messages, pictures, phone numbers, etc. that make you uncomfortable.

  • Report and block

Once you have all your screenshots, report the person directly to the platform and then block their account to prevent them from sending you further messages.

  • Report to police

Report cyber-harassment or blackmailing to Cyber Crime Wing – Federal Investigation Agency. Helpline: 1991 Email: helpdesk@nr3c.gov.pk Website: www.fia.gov.pk/ccw

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Sub Editor

Previous Article
  • Wired

The largest Trade Surplus in the Nation is in Pakistan’s Information Technology Sector.

  • November 21, 2022
  • Sub Editor
View Post
Next Article
  • Cellcos

Google Maps Will Let You Scan the World for Directions and Locations Soon

  • November 21, 2022
  • Sub Editor
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Cellcos
  • PayTech

PTA to Reimburse Telcos for Financial Services Revenues

  • Sub Editor
  • January 28, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos
  • Wired

Massive Power Breakdown: You May Soon Lose Signals on Your Mobile

  • Sub Editor
  • January 23, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

5G Service Launch Faces Optical Fiber Cable Penetration Challenges

  • Sub Editor
  • January 16, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

PTA Issues Regulatory Initiatives: DX & Affordably Priced Telecom Services

  • Sub Editor
  • January 16, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Pakistan Stands At Second Highest Average Mobile Broadband Speed: PTA

  • Sub Editor
  • January 16, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

PTA Blacklisted 1.1 Million URLs For Being “Immoral” and “indecent” Last Year.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 13, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Compliance and Enforcement by PTA Members Releases Charge Upon Term’s Completion

  • Sub Editor
  • January 13, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

In 2022, PTA used DIRBS to stop 175,000 stolen mobile devices.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 12, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Pakistan’s Top 8 Social Media Platforms: PTA Report

  • Sub Editor
  • January 12, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

The Telecom Airwaves Spectrum Re-farming Framework is finalised by the IT Ministry.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 11, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

In 2021–2022, telecom revenues increased 6%.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 11, 2023
View Post
  • Business
  • Cellcos

Annual Report on Cybersecurity 2022 by PTA

  • Sub Editor
  • January 11, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos
  • Wired

After a multi-million rupee mobile phone IMEI corruption scandal, FBR will take action.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 9, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Teclos Suffered Because the Government Prioritised Regulation Overgrowth.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 9, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

48 Districts in Pakistan will get exclusive voice and data offers through Ufone 4G’s “Regional Play”

  • Sub Editor
  • January 9, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Jazz wins seven accolades at the 2023 Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards.

  • Sub Editor
  • January 6, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Government Receives Over 50 Applications for Chairman PTA Position

  • Sub Editor
  • January 6, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Legal Issues Making It Difficult for the Government to Name the Next PTA Chairman

  • Sub Editor
  • January 5, 2023
View Post
  • Cellcos

Telecom right of way: a puzzling case (R.O.W)

  • Sub Editor
  • December 23, 2022
View Post
  • Cellcos

More than 15,000 complaints were filed against telcos in SE by PTA.

  • Sub Editor
  • December 23, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

about
About
Launched in 1967 internationally, Computerworld Magazine is the oldest tech magazine/media property brand in the world. Today Computerworld (abbreviated as CW) is an ongoing decades old professional publication which in 2014 "went digital”. In Pakistan Computerworld was launched in 1995. Initially providing news to IT executives only, once CIO Pakistan from the same family launched, and took over the domain, CW Pakistan has slowly emerged as a holistic technology news platform reporting everything tech in the country. It remains the oldest running continuous IT media publishing platform in the country and approaching 3 decades of existence, it has been the industry’s biggest benchmark and hopes to continue for years to come.
Read more
Explore Computerworld Sites Globally
  • ComputerWorld.es
  • computerworld.com.pt
  • Computerworld.com
  • cw.no
  • computerworldmexico.com.mx
  • computerwoche.de
  • computersweden.idg.se
  • computerworld.hu
  • cwi.it
  • project.nikkeibp.co.jp
Content from other IDG brands
  • PCWorld
  • Macworld
  • Infoworld
  • TechHive
  • GameStar
  • Network world
CW Pakistan
  • CWPK
  • CXO
  • WALLET
  • Demo
CW Media & all its sub brands are copyrighted to SPIN-IDG Wakhan Media Inc., the publishing arm of NCC-RP Group. Site is designed by Crunch Collective ©️ 2022

Input your search keywords and press Enter.