X
Business

Young ones still a target on the Net

weekly roundup Okay, you want the good news first or the bad news? According to a new study by the U.
Written by Eileen Yu, Senior Contributing Editor

weekly roundup Okay, you want the good news first or the bad news? According to a new study by the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the amount of sexual solicitations targeting youths over the Internet decreased last year, compared to 1999 and 2000.

The bad news is, more online users--aged 10 to 17--were exposed to unwanted sexual material on the Net.

In addition, 9 percent of respondents--up from 6 percent in previous findings--said they experienced sexual harassment while on the Web. There's also no decline in the most serious kinds of sexual solicitations, suggesting that the most resolute offenders have not been deterred, according to the Center.

netchildren.jpg

It's perhaps timely then that a landmark global cybercrime treaty was approved in the U.S. Senate this week. Should it receive international recognition, though other regions such as Asia and Africa currently do not appear to be part of the accord, the treaty is pipped to help improve cooperation between foreign governments in fighting--among other crimes--child pornography, terrorism, computer hacking and money laundering.

There is, however, one potential stumbling block--specifically a portion in the treaty that states Internet service providers must cooperate with electronic searches without reimbursement, and that gives U.S. agency FBI the authority to conduct electronic surveillance on behalf of another government.

In other news this week, learn why the CIO of DHL regards time, simplicity and predictability as important components in improving customer service.

Read how Google parked itself a lucrative space on the Web, and what some companies are doing to market their products faster. And find out why Microsoft this week would be a little wary of a Leopard and Blue Pill.

Editorial standards