On Tuesday, Feb. 11, people around the world will highlight the need for caution online during Safer Internet Day.
The initiative, held each year on the second Tuesday of February, originated in the European Union more than 20 years ago and has been adopted by countries around the world, including Canada.
The Canadian focus is to start conversations about online safety, especially with children and young people.
This year91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s theme is 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵœToo good to be true? Keeping yourself and others safe from scams online.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ
A lot of the resources and materials are designed for children and teens, as some of the worst scams and extortion attempts are aimed at young people.
It is important to remember that scams affect more than just one age demographic.
Seniors, who may not be the most technologically savvy, have also often been made victims of scams.
Earlier this year, a woman in France was bilked out of more than $850,000 in an AI-generated scam involving a movie celebrity. There are also numerous efforts to breach online security and access banking and financial information. These stories happen too frequently.
In addition, misinformation can circulate easily, especially on social media platforms where it can spread if unchecked. Some of this is malicious in nature and can be used to amplify hate and division, or to cast doubts on accurate information.
Recently, a series of images was circulated, showing some well-known people making an offensive gesture. In some cases, single image from a video was used out of context to create the image. In other cases, photos were manipulated to create something that did not exist.
Incidents like this will become increasing common as AI software becomes more sophisticated in generating text and images.
Fact-checking skills and reliable fact-checking tools are increasingly important. Those who know how to ask questions about what they are seeing will be able to determine if an image, a statement or an offer is trustworthy, inaccurate or questionable. Those without such skills will be at a disadvantage.
Canada91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s effort to keep children and teens safe online is admirable. But it should not stop there.
People of all ages can be affected by frauds and deceptions online, and as a result, people of all ages need to be aware and develop the skills to stay safe in the online world.
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” Black Press