Social networks are littered with fake profiles, “bots” (a computer program capable of interacting and performing repetitive tasks automatically through a chain of commands or previous autonomous functions) and “trolls” (a person who exploits from anywhere in the world). network to create discussion and encourage conflict among other users). Both Facebook and Twitter estimate that 5% of their monthly active users are potentially fake accounts. This means that 146 million Facebook profiles and 12 million ‘small bird nets’ would be wrong; This is a reality seen in other social networks such as TikTok and Instagram, which seriously jeopardizes the safety of minors on the network.
A fake account can be created because the person does not want to reveal their identity publicly, but often these anonymous profiles contain not-so-innocent intentions. Fernando Suárez Lorenzo, head of the Galician Professional College of Informatics Teaching (CPEIG), warns that there is a wide variety of crimes committed under the guise of fake profiles on social networks. An example is the sending of all kinds of spam, from scamming to stealing money or personal data, to generating streams of ideas and influence that are much more valuable than you might think. Often times, they are created to criticize, insult, threaten or harass someone, set the network on fire, or impersonate someone.
The impact of technology on adolescence according to Unicef research. Relationships, risks and opportunities where Suárez is the director of technology support, 98.5% of adolescents are registered on some social networks. One in ten people claim to receive sexual offers from adults online, and 42% claim to receive erotic or sexual messages. Along the same lines, the FAD Youth Foundation reveals that since the start of the pandemic, cases of pedophile cyber-scamming, in which adults pose to gain the trust of young people and solicit sexual content, have increased by 63%. On the other hand, a report by NGO Plan International shows that 60% of girls and adolescents have been cyberbullied at one time or another.
how to behave
Lorenzo relies on the education of both minors and their families and the education community to prevent minors from becoming victims of any of these crimes. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that technology is an integral part of the lives of our adolescents, not only for their personal relationships, but also for their education, leisure, personal development and future work, so we must do more. strives to train them in its use and to develop the necessary critical spirit to know how to compare the information they have access to,” he says.
According to Suárez, it is not enough for children and adolescents to develop digital skills, but it is crucial that they understand the principles of the world in which they live that are governed by the use of information technology. “To use an analogy, digital skills would be the math equivalent of a calculator for computer science. We must be much more assertive in the digital education of the generation to whom we will hand over the flag of the future.”
Suárez explains that there are several criteria that can be followed to catch these fake profiles, starting with the profile photo itself, which may not fit the description of the person; incompatibilities between followers and followed accounts; Number of posts and images submitted; and the date an account was created can also be important if, for example, it coincides with the start of some kind of smear campaign.
According to the computer scientist, there are also tools that can help the user check the credibility of a profile, from searching for the credibility of a profile on Google to checking if it’s genuine – by right-clicking on the image and selecting this search. , even applications developed for this purpose and available on the Internet.
If a fake profile is detected, different measures can be taken depending on the user’s interaction with it. If the profile is used to harass us, for example, the first advice is to block it, as well as report it to the authorities and the social network itself. “Unfortunately, this is not always helpful, as it is relatively simple to create new profiles to continue this harassment,” the expert agrees.
He admits that although social networks themselves have implemented checks to avoid these fake profiles, this is often not achieved. “This is not an easy task, both because of the volume of potential false profiles and the difficulty of detecting them, as they use a combination of AI-based techniques with the people overseeing the decisions,” he continues.
Risks for minors
According to the study of the Impact of Technology on adolescence conducted by Unicef, 94.8% of ESO students have a mobile phone with an internet connection and 90.8% are connected every day. Almost half (49.6%) use the internet for more than five hours on weekends and 31.5% use the same time every weekday.
Likewise, 58.4% sleep with a mobile phone or tablet in their room, and 21.6% go online every day or almost every day after midnight. According to this Unicef report, the main risks they face are cyberbullying, contact with strangers, discrimination or feeling excluded, blackmail and blackmail.
Source: Informacion
