‘Educate Internet users’

IDENTITY thefts, cyber-bullying, stalking and pornography are among the biggest threats faced by children and adult users of online social media, police authorities said yesterday.

In yesterday’s 5th Philippine Society for Industrial Security held at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City Senior Supt. Gilbet Sosa, chief of the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crime Division, said education is the key to preventing these threats from victimizing children and adults.

“Millions of users around the world log on to social networking sites everyday. The risks from social media is real. Educating the populace on the proper ethics of using the Internet is necessary,” Sosa said.

Sosa, also concurrent project director of the CIDG Internet Child Protection Program, Project Angel Net, said public cooperation is essential in protecting children from online stalkers and pornographers.

He said the country ranks seventh in the world in the number of Facebook users at 26,249,780 people.

Of the number, 20 percent are minors, Sosa said. From Jan. to Aug. last year, Sosa said they received complaints from 40 persons.

The complaints range from identity theft, cyber-bullying, stalking and harassment and online pornography.

Sosa said he met with Capitol officials to boost their campaign against cybersex crimes.

A digital forensic laboratory will be established in Cebu late this year to combat cyber crimes, Sosa said.

“We have yet to learn many things, It’s not easy to investgate cyber crimes,” he said. /reporter Ador Vincent Mayol