Shield Your Kid – It’s a Deep; Dark Web

The safer internet day began as an initiative of the European Union Safe Borders project in 2004 and is celebrated in about 130 countries worldwide.

IT’S NO SECRET THAT AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BEEN ONLINE, YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED CYBER BULLYING either directly or indirectly. The internet can truly be a very terrifying place to be in and we are all always looking for ways to protect ourselves online. I for one kept my accounts private for a long time. I also don’t post as much mainly because I’m not sure if I want the attention. I don’t know if you can relate to this but it is my truth.

When I decided to open up my accounts, I decided to look for ways I can truly protect myself. Let’s face it keeping my account private works in theory but it’s not exactly full proof. Just like everything else, it has its cracks. I therefore decided to open it up because after all, the things that are in there don’t disclose as much about me. As a result, I started wandering around the internet streets looking for what might be a full proof solution.

Did you know that Kaspersky offers a web filter extension that you can use on your laptop. This was news to me as I believed the internet was like playing field, there’s no way of knowing which hole you might fall into; not unless you know where the holes are. Basically what this extension does is, it examines the url and decides whether to allow or deny access to the website based on the set parameters. I would go into detail about this but I also don’t want to bore you with the details. However should you want more information, click here.

On Safer Internet Day, 11^th February 2020, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) stepped up advocacy on responsible use of the internet by calling for collective action by all stakeholders, as it seeks to make the internet safer for children. The CA Director General, Mercy Wanjau, while speaking at the event stated, “With the wide availability of the Internet, children regularly access the cyber space and are increasingly exposed to cybercrime. Unknown to many parents and guardians, children are constant victims of cyber bullying, online sexual harassment, with many even exposed to sexually explicit materials and online stalking, among other vices.”

In a bid to curb this menace, The Authority, through the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC), has brought down a multiple social media accounts that were using images of children as their profile pictures to affect the affected children. Additionally, as a way to curb child pornography, the National KE-CIRT/CC has collaborated with other agencies nationally and globally to ensure circulation of such content is blocked and the source is traced for persecution.

I also learnt that should I be experiencing cyber bullying, I can report it to the police specifically, DCI Kenya. I think to some extent we all think that hateful comments on social media are part of the game and are to be ignored or clapped back at but in reality, there are laws that protect us; should we be experiencing cyber bullying. I find it to be quite odd how most of us do not think of suing yet it’s a rather simple process.

If you confidently feel as though someone or people are bullying you online;

• Visit the National KE-CIRT/CC website/portal.
• Scroll down on the site and you’ll see a ‘Report an Incident’ option.
• Click on ‘Report’
• This will direct you to a page filled with spaces that should be populated with details about your case, including name, organization, contact address, subject (i.e. Abusive content) and an area for remark.
• Then click submit to send the complaint to the relevant authorities.

Or

• Send a letter detailing your case to the Director General, CA Kenya via P. O. Box 14448 – 00800
• Report your case physically to the CA Office at CA Centre, Waiyaki Way.
• Send an email to incidents@ke-cirt.go.ke
• Or call +254703042700/+254730172700

Your case shall be investigated and the team shall reach out to you on a later date.

Maybe I should have added a link for the above information but cyber bullying is a real issue and I felt as though I should put that information in the forefront. Other ways I came across are the usual, learning how to set boundaries, if it gets really bad remove yourself from the situation and finding an outlet. The running theme of everything I came across is speak up. Either talk to the authorities or someone you trust if you are a victim of cyber bullying. Keeping the channels of communication open is the best thing we can all do so as to make it easier to have these tough conversations. For me, I settled on removing myself from situations that infringe on my wellness. I can always open other accounts and keep on pushing.

If you are a victim of cyber bullying or know someone who is experiencing cyber bullying, please reach out to the above contacts. Or reach out to me here. You do not have to go through this alone. Talk. Then keep talking some more.