The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) published “Online Safety Guide, Safe Use of Social Media,” which provides guidance on the risks one may face online, as well as tips on how to stay secure and responsible while maintaining a positive digital footprint.
Content is anything that is uploaded and shared online, such as a photo, video, or text. While much of the content on the internet is positive, there is also a lot of content that can cause distress or emotional harm.
Predators and other bad actors are using online spaces to accelerate illegal and harmful activity in unprecedented ways. There is a chance that you will meet people online who are not who they claim to be.
Grooming is a term used to describe how abusers use the internet to sexually exploit and manipulate children and young people.
What is the Process of Online Grooming?
- Young people may end up trusting abusers whose true identities they do not know.
- Online groomers may impersonate someone else.
Groomers impersonate young people by using popular social media platforms.
They choose their victim based on perceived vulnerability and attempt to befriend them by pretending to share similar hobbies or interests, using other people’s photos, offering gifts or followers, and sharing “secrets.”
Creating trust between them and their victim
Once the groomer has gained the victim’s trust, he or she may request explicit photos or videos from the young person. They will attempt emotional blackmail on the victim and threaten to block them if they refuse such requests.
The victim may feel helpless and end up sharing intimate photos, which the groomer can later use for extortion.
The groomer could be someone you know
Online groomers may be people the victim already knows from their family or social circle. They will also use the internet to establish contact with their victim.
Groomers can appear charismatic, kind, and occasionally helpful, and young people may be unaware that they are being groomed.
Where Can Online Grooming Take Place?
Online predators will target children and young adults through platforms and apps that they are most likely to use (including job forums and gaming sites). They might also appear to be the victim’s age.
To gain the victim’s trust, the predator will often initiate a friendly conversation or offer advice before asking for their phone number to chat privately.
Signs of Danger
Someone contacting you online could be a stranger or someone you know or have met before. They could be someone older or younger than you. Predators will also lie about their gender, location, and true motivations.
Here are some red flags:
- You are uneasy—predators will push their victims’ boundaries and ask intrusive questions.
- Believe your instincts. They claim that their webcam or video app is not working — the online groomer may pose as someone else. They claim that their webcam or video app is broken, so you can’t see how they really look.
- They make inappropriate comments about your appearance or body, and they request personal photographs of you or family members/friends. Be wary of anyone who lavishes compliments on you for no reason.
- They contact you several times and in various ways, such as when you meet them on Reddit and they ask for your phone number and begin direct messaging you.
- They insist on a meeting — they may say they want to see you in person and may act frustrated or refer to you as a “bad” friend if you don’t agree.
- People who want to harm you do not want others to know about them, so they want to keep it private. They may request that you contact them only when you are alone.
- They request favors/money, etc. — Once trust has been established, the groomer may request money or other favours from the victim.
How to Stay Safe from Unwanted Contact
- Set your accounts to private:
You can control who sees what you post online and who can contact you directly by adjusting your privacy settings.
- Contacts should be deleted:
Examine your list of social media friends and followers. Check to see if you are familiar with them. Delete contacts that appear suspicious or have not posted in a long time.
- Screenshot proof:
Take screenshots of any messages, pictures, phone numbers, or other information that makes you uncomfortable.
- Block and report:
Once you’ve collected all of your screenshots, report the person to the platform and block their account to prevent them from sending you any more messages.
- Inform the police
Report the cyber-harassment or blackmail to the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing.
- Helpline number: 1991
- Helpdesk email: helpdesk@nr3c.gov.pk
- Website: http://www.fia.gov.pk/ccw
To read our blog on “Over 15,000 complaints against telcos were received by PTA in September,” click here