The global software security company Symantec has produced a Chinese version of its earlier English publication of a cloud-based family Internet protection system.

Citing surveys, Symantec representatives claimed that young Web surfers in Hong Kong are at greater risk than kids in other cities. The claim is based on a survey that reported than almost one-third of 110 kids surveyed in a company commissioned poll had arranged in-person encounters with people they met online. Symantec says the finding is three times the global average.

"Hong Kong is a highly networked society, and parents are generally not aware of what their children are doing online," Norton Internet Safety Advocate Effendy Ibrahim said.

Conducted by The Leading Edge, the survey also found 60 percent of parents were not aware of the extent to which their children downloaded music, videos and games, while 58 percent of children thought they were more careful about online activities compared with their parents.

The software, rolled out in English last year, requires young people to be a part of the set up. It allows parents to set browsing times and sends alerts to parents when kids try to access sites considered undesirable. The program is good only for home computer use.

Standard online parenting controls blocked websites and recorded key strokes, so that parents actually are spying on their kids. Symantec believes its Norton Online Family freeware program is less invasive, less confrontational where it concerns parents and their children.

The software also reveals to parents how their children represent themselves on social networking sites. It retains features that block certain websites and record search terms.

Household Internet penetration rates were 82.1 percent as of March this year according to the Office for the Telecommunications Authority, while local children were spending an average of 20 hours online a week, nearly twice the global average of 11.4 hours.

"If you're using spy-based parental controls, it's harder to confront your children and you may not because then they'll know you're spying on them. But online parenting tools that are transparent make forming Internet house rules a shared exercise," Ibrahim said.

Director of the NGO Against Child Abuse Pricilla Lui said a delicate balance was needed between informing children and protecting them.

"A lot of parents are very concerned while others are overly concerned, screening things and looking through diaries. It's better to guide and understand their situation, but the important thing is not to stalk kids or spoon-feed them. It's very important to preserve their rights to privacy, but they also have the right to be informed like any individual," she said, adding nothing could replace spending time together.

While parents are trying to keep up with a much more Internet savvy generation, lawmakers are also acting in response to rising concerns of internet abuse and other negative aspects at Internet cafes.

The Legislative Council Home Affairs Panel voted last month to set up a licensing system for the city's 210 Internet cafes.

The system is expected to be based on a 2003 voluntary code of conduct that requires children under the age of 16 to be barred after midnight along with the filtering of gambling, pornographic and violent content.

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/14/2010 page1)