Abu Dhabi: Around 43 per cent of children have carried on online conversations with strangers and 40 per cent of teenagers have lied about their age to gain further access to websites, the Ministry of Interior’s monthly publication revealed today (Sunday).
Abu Dhabi Police have urged parents to monitor their children’s internet and mobile application activities. They also warned caretakers about potential sexual predators who can be found online.
Lieutenant Colonel Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999, a magazine of the Ministry of Interior, said: “Social media apps enable unmonitored access to content that can potentially be of danger to children. While the UAE strives to protect citizens and residents from cyber pitfalls, parents must also take an active role in the battle for digital safety. Parents must be aware of what their children are doing online and advise them not to engage with strangers, even those who claim to be children themselves.”
“Cyber crimes including blackmail, identification theft, defamation and fraud can threaten those who inappropriately and unwarily use the internet, experts say. In fact, online fraud is the most common type of criminal activity that those in the UAE fell victim to last year,” he said
In parallel, the UAE suffers from a shortage of individuals interested in the field of cyber security, New York University professor Dr Nassir Memon had earlier told Gulf News.
“Most parents don’t know what their children are up to when they access the internet and this is because the parents themselves aren’t as educated as they should be when it comes to these things. Online security is a big issue that should be taken seriously and this is why education on this topic should be done while children are still in school,” he added.
Those convicted of online crimes may face a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine not exceeding Dh2 million.
