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Call for action against online sex grooming
BY LOUIS ANDREWS
Source:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/call-for-action-against-online-sex-grooming/1560795.aspx?src=rss

A new report calls for international co-operation to protect children
from online sex grooming, particularly on social networking sites.

The Australian Institute of Criminology report, an analysis of data
from Australia and other countries, gives a broad picture of online
child sex grooming.

In 2006, some 850,000 unwanted sexual advances were made online in
Britain, and the institute report found more than 130 online sex
grooming cases had been prosecuted in Australia by 2007.

The report's author, Raymond Choo, said the findings highlighted the
need for an international consensus.

He said individual countries including Australia had comprehensive
powers to deal with online sex grooming, but greater international
co-operation was needed.

''Until the process of harmonisation of laws and sanctions is more
advanced, disparities within and between countries will continue to
create risks,'' he said.

The report also noted extradition issues were ''likely to arise''.

Dr Choo said sites like MySpace were working with law enforcement
agencies to protect users, but more could be done.

''For example, social networking sites should consider offering
privacy-friendly default settings that is, allow users to specify who
are able to access their profile instead of the default free-for-all
settings,'' he said.

Websites like Facebook give users the choice to restrict what
information can be seen on their profile, and by whom. But the default
setting shows their personal information to other Facebook users.

A recent United States survey of teens between 13-17 found almost half
had an online profile viewable by anyone.

More in today's Canberra Times

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