Mon, Apr 03, 2000 page1

• Kids need protection from Internet: activists

  WEB ACCESS With rising rates of Internet usage among Taiwanese children, social groups are calling for better ratings systems based on local conditions and the development of tighter self-censorship networks

  • By Liu Shao-hua / STAFF REPORTER
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  Internet usage is taking off in Taiwan, and nowhere more so than among young children, studies have shown.

  But while this may help to foster higher educational standards and other noble pursuits among the nation's youth, not everyone is pleased about the way the Internet is growing, as it carries a dark side that is becoming all too well-known, social activists say.

  Two days before National Children's Day, six social groups yesterday used a recent study to warn that "vicious" information available over the Internet was "eroding children's minds."

  

  Children from Taipei elementary schools and kindergartens take part in activities yesterday designed to celebrate tomorrow's Children's Day outside the Taipei City Hall plaza. Timed to coincide with the worldwide event, social activists have painted what they say is an alarming picture of how access to improper Internet content is affecting Taiwanese children.

  PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

  Their concern was not so much that children are spending more time online, but that they were being exposed to a wider variety of potentially psychologically harmful content -- often with very little parent or teacher supervision. As a result, the groups appealed yesterday to the government to quickly develop a feasible rating system for Web sites and set up a trusted "firewall" system that could be used in the computer networks of the nation's schools.

  Citing results of past surveys conducted by Yam (蕃薯藤), one of the top Chinese-language Internet portals, the social groups said they were concerned by rising Internet usage rates among children below the age of 15.

  "High frequency of Internet use could expose children to violence or pornography, and could provoke negative behavior among them. Most parents, however, are unable to protect their children from this because they lack the knowledge needed to do so," said Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容), chief executive of the Garden of Hope Foundation (勵馨基金會).

  Chi and the other five groups represented yesterday -- from across the fields of education, information technology and legal work -- have established an alliance aimed at putting together an Internet rating system, as well as developing "firewalls" for use at home and in class. Firewalls are electronic filters that restrict entry to online databases and Web sites.

  Liu Jian-hsin (劉建興), director of the Public Network Foundation(公共網路文教基金會), said the Ministry of Education plans to equip all classrooms in primary schools nationwide with Internet access by next year. This raises the urgency of the need for better monitoring systems that parents and teachers can use, Liu said.

  "We would like to propose to the ministry that a decision be made within this month on a ratings standard," he said.

  Liu recognized, however, that there are significant difficulties to be overcome in setting up such a ratings system. "Many locally operated pornographic Web sites are actually hosted on computers abroad," he said, pointing out that at present the group has adopted foreign standards as a reference.

  "Many foreign countries use a rating system that has four restrictive classifications -- for sexual, erotic, violent and language," he said. "There are also four levels for each classification. But some classifications and levels are not applicable to local circumstances [in Taiwan].

  "Taiwan has to develop a localized rating system, instead of fully adopting foreign standards," Liu said, adding that the future standard should be based on both international and local conditions.

  Liu suggested that such a plan proceed in two stages. First, he said, the information technology industry in Taiwan should act to set up a rating system on its own initiative, considering its members have the most experience in the field. Once this has happened, a committee comprising various "concerned groups" should review and verify the standard. He did not specify who those would be.

  "But the final decision must be made by the education ministry," Liu said.
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