Assessing the Risks


To meet a victim, a predator has to know where to find that person or arrange a place to meet. To rob you, a predator has to know where to find your house. People might provide this information in a variety of ways: inadvertently through photos (see Chapter 4, "Step 1: Be Careful What You Show People," for one example) or through text where they list their full names, the part of the country or the city they live in, their employer or school, and so on.

Why Do They Care Where You Live?

The reality is that 52 percent of teen victims of Internet-initiated sexual abuse travel less than 10 miles to an initial meeting with a predator, and in 50 percent of cases, victims and predators travel a combined total of less than 50 miles to meet (Wolak et al., 2004). From a predatory point of view, it is simply more convenient to find victims in the same general area.

The risk is not just in blogs. Text in any publicly viewable communication might reveal your location (see Figure 7-3 on the next page). For example, in an instant messaging session you can display information about your location via

  • Your personal message or profile

  • A buddy search

  • Voice conversations

  • A video giving visual clues to your surroundings

  • Mapping functionality that shows IM buddies satellite images in which they can locate where you are

Figure 7-3. Location is a key element in predation.


Filtering applications allow you to block certain sites that have inappropriate content, but if a site does not get flagged by such an application, that's not enough to protect your identity or location. Once you access any site, you can share any information you wish, including your location. It often doesn't occur to young people how someone might use this information, not only about them, but also about their friends and everybody in their entire household.

Think About It

The initial face-to-face meeting of a child with a sexual predator met online takes place in the victim's own home 20 percent of the time. Another 19 percent occur in the predator's home (Wolak et al., 2004).


Location Application Dangers

Applications that allow you to pinpoint a friend's location might seem cool, but consider the safety measures and features a predator could take advantage of:

  • There are programs available that allow kids to download a location application to their phone that then beacons to their friends, and to friends of friends, with their exact location.

  • Other programs take location sharing in a slightly different direction. They send a beacon not only to other mobile devices, but also allow desktop computer users to track you. This feature is being touted, among other things, as a way for parents to keep an eye on their kids. Who else is keeping an eye on them? Is this feature being used to keep an eye on you? Would you know if it were?

  • Yet other programs expand the location process by enabling users to chat instantly and view the locations of all other members of the chat. No sign-up is required; all you do is begin to type into the chat field. It took 24 seconds the first time I visited a site like this for sex to become a chat topic.

And keep in mind that the danger isn't limited to your desktop computer; most mobile devices these days offer opportunities to find you (see Figure 7-4).

Figure 7-4. Location risks from mobile devices


Technology Makes Finding You Easier

In fact, finding you is becoming much easier with new technologies, and this has both benefits and risks. Cell phones, for example, broadcast location information constantly when the power is on. With over 2 billion wireless users worldwide, tracking a huge number of people without their knowledge has become more of a reality than ever before.

Think About It

According to Informa Telecoms & Media, in many countries, the penetration of wireless technology in the marketplace is at or near 100 percent of the population. Even in the United States, where the number is lower, over 214 million Americans (about two out of three) are cellular subscribers.


Many new cars and trucks are now equipped with location systems that provide maps and emergency services to drivers. Cell phones are being upgraded to ensure that ambulances and law enforcement can find you if you need help. Some transportation departments have begun tracking wireless signals from devices in cars to identify traffic problems. Many companies have begun monitoring their fleet of vehicles and/or shipments of goods to help improve their business models and service levels. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are gathering invaluable information about criminals and their activities. Parents are monitoring their children's whereabouts.

But there are safety and privacy implications with location features that you should discuss with family and friends. Web services exist that allow users to broadcast their location to all their IM buddies. Services that enable parents to track a child (which you might or might not feel is appropriate, based on circumstances) can also be used to track spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends, and so on. Carefully consider who, if anyone, should be tracking you and your family members, and talk about the implications of using these services with your family.

Your device's location can generally be tracked in one of three ways:

  1. Global Positioning System (GPS) uses satellites in space to compare the timing of radio signals and can be accurate to within about 20 yards.

  2. Wi-fi networks track millions of radio signals from transmitters in urban areas, though the individual radio signal is anonymous.

  3. Triangulation collects information from two or three cell towers to help pinpoint the location of a device.



Look Both Ways. Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
ISBN: 0735623473
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 157
Authors: Linda Criddle

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net