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Internet is a highly useful and entertaining tool, but not everything is good about it. According to a study, around 72 out of 100 apps misuse the sensitive information of kids. These apps largely mislead innocent kids and threaten their safety on the Internet. There are many games, dating apps, and social media platforms that can be very risky for children. For example, Omegle is one such app that is quite notorious with it. So, here is how mobile apps are a threat to the online safety of children.
More about the study
Kids love using mobile phones, and most of the time, they use them to play games, chat with people, and other things like that. However, not all apps provide their users with a safe user experience like they promise. Few apps misuse sensitive data, and they even get involved in selling their chats to third parties. Children use these platforms thinking that their conversations are encrypted and safe, but then they fall into these traps and end up getting bullied by hackers.
Now, there are different apps that are one-on-one chatting apps connecting two random people. These apps have a lot of adult content in them, and many times the people you meet through these apps are not good. In many cases, pedophiles use these apps to trap innocent kids.
All in all, selling data, using abusive words, and hacking data are common issues with many apps today. So, how do we protect our children from these dangers?
The best way is to use a parental control tool like Avosmart. Many parents use it to keep their children safe from online dangers. You can keep track of all their social media activities, put limits on websites and apps, and even block websites and apps that are not suitable for children. Not only that, but you will also get timely and in-detailed reports of their social media activities.
Why do malicious entities select apps to target kids?
There are many reasons for it, according to studies. First and foremost, social media and smartphones have the potential to affect childhood negatively. Nowadays, most children have a smartphone by the time they are 11 years old. That is not the ideal age, and some children get a phone even before that. There are no safety measures while we install an app. Thus, as soon as children learn how to download apps, it becomes difficult because there is nobody to let them know beforehand if an app is malicious.
Hackers can not only hack someone’s account, but they even know how to bypass the mechanical aspects. Thus, they can quickly insert or stick up a malicious system in their phones. This way, they can even get the details of their geographic location.
According to COPPA guidelines, they expect websites on the Internet to verify the age and ask for parental consent if the user is below 13 years of age. The sad truth is that very few websites follow these rules. The widely famous app TikTok is an excellent example of it. It was caught gathering the personal data of under-13 users. For that, they had to pay 5.7 million USD as a fine. It is why you need a parental control tool for strict monitoring and safety of your children.
What should you do to protect your children online?
Entirely banning your kids from using mobile apps is not such an easy thing, and we don’t recommend it as well. Various apps have more good than bad to them. For instance, some apps give your children easy access to the best educational content and even mind-sharpening games. Although it is challenging to keep a watch on your child all day, there are various methods by which you can stop their phones from sharing personal data.
One method is by making sure that their location is never turned on. Secondly, they should be using their phones only with your consent and under your supervision.
Although websites and apps violate the COPPA guidelines, no app developer can access anybody’s personal information without consent. The consent is often well-hidden under the lengthy terms and conditions that we have to agree to while using the app, and we always skip reading it. It is wrong to do, and you need to know what your children have to accept before using an app. After thoroughly reading the terms and conditions, you should constructively discuss it with them and then decide whether they should be using the app or not.
Final Words
There is always some level of danger on the Internet. We must tread carefully and take care of our children. It will be best to educate them about these things so that they know how to stay from these things. After these things, relying on a parental control tool will help as backup security. Tools like Avosmart will alert you if your children are trying to find content that is not suitable for them. So, these reasons are why mobile apps are a considerable threat to your children’s online safety.