The removal of harmful online content involving children depends largely on the response of foreign-owned social media platforms, with generally responding to removal requests within 24 to 48 hours, according to the Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT).Speaking to The Daily Morning, Lead Information Security Engineer at the CERT | Coordination Centre Charuka Damunupola on Wednesday (11) explained that the organisation’s role in such incidents is primarily technical and included assisting with requests to remove harmful content. CERT submitted requests to the relevant platforms to remove harmful material, but that the final decision rested with the companies operating those platforms, which are based overseas. Reports received from the Police often involved requests to remove content relating to incidents involving children, including nude photographs and other material that should not be publicly available. However, criminal investigations are handled by the Police, with certain incidents also being referred to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). Pornography websites generally responded to removal requests within 24 hours. Complaints relating to Facebook (FB) are being referred to the Criminal Investigation Department’s Cyber Crime Division. However, complaints concerning child abuse could be lodged with the NCPA or the Police’s Children and Women’s Bureau. Social media platforms have age restrictions, with children below the age of 13 not permitted to create FB accounts. Parents also have a responsibility to ensure that children do not access such platforms below the permitted age.Meanwhile, the chairperson of a child welfare organisation from Mahara lamented that this situation only raised serious concerns about the potential for harmful material to be copied, downloaded and circulated further while removal requests were being processed, particularly when the content involves children whose privacy and safety may have already been compromised.
Source link
——————————————————–
Click Here For The Original Source.
