Domestics Affairs

To pry or not to pry, that is the question

By Naren Chitty (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-03 07:49

Apart from potential contradictions within the family, at least while the law is new, a contrast may also be made between the Western Internet landscape and the West's emphasis on parental supervision of minors on the one hand, and the Chinese Internet landscape, with its systemic supervisory mechanisms, on the other.

In Chongqing, no longer will parents be able to monitor the communication behavior of their offspring by looking at their diaries, blogs, social media or cell phones. The municipality has, however, not acted on its own. In fact, it has brought its laws in line with national laws that seek to extend privacy rights to minors, the age of majority in China being 18.

It is normal for parents to feel obliged to monitor their children's personal communications to protect them. Even those who believe in the sacrosanct nature of personal communications often exclude minors because of potential jeopardy. Jeopardy is an important factor here if we are to discuss the issue in terms of the security of children.

Parents' supervision of children's communication behavior is born out of advice on simple matters of etiquette such as "mind your p's and q's", growing to cover more serious issues like conversations with strangers. It is said that a stranger is a friend that you do not know. But strangers can also pose deadly threats. They can be predators.

The Internet provides a marvelous world of opportunities for the young mind, including the opportunity for free expression. It is a veritable treasure trove of information and knowledge. But, certainly in the West, it also presents opportunities for predators who can lead children to danger and even death. And it is riddled with pornography websites.

In the West, all of this is of concern for parents, the media as well as crime prevention agencies such as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Dateline NBC, for instance, has a reality TV program called To Catch a Predator. Decoys are used to lure sexual predators with the help of an online Internet watch group called "Perverted Justice". This helps raise awareness of the dangers.

The FBI has a Parents' Guide to Internet Safety on its website. The opening statement says: "Our children are our nation's most valuable asset. They represent the bright future of our country and hold our hopes for a better nation. Our children are also the most vulnerable members of society. Protecting our children against the fear of crime and from becoming victims of crime must be a national priority".

The site makes recommendations of what parents can do to protect their children. These recommendations include greater communication with children, including about Internet dangers, installing the Internet connection in a family room and using software to block dangerous sites.

In stark contrast with the requirements of the Chongqing law, the FBI advises parents to "always maintain access to your child's online account and randomly check his/her e-mail. Be aware that your child could be contacted through the US Mail. Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why".

There is a US Federal law that seeks to control the behavior of websites vis--vis children's privacy. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 of the US regulates online collection of personal information on minors below 13 years of age. Parental permission is necessary for under-age children to provide personal information to websites.

The two dramatically different approaches to children's privacy, in China and the West, arise from different Internet landscapes that in turn arise from different views of the extent to which the Internet should be supervised. There is a perception in the West that China's supervision of the Internet climate keeps its Internet world relatively free of sexual predators and pornography.

The new legislation in Chongqing is not unmindful of behavioral effects of the Internet. An indication of this is that it disallows Internet cafs within 200 meters of an elementary or high school. But it may be that China's success in keeping the online world relatively clean that has given Chongqing the confidence to pass a law which sheds the responsibility of supervising children from those who are closest to them and closest at hand.

The law must also be viewed in a holistic manner in relation to the wider Chinese culture, which is informed by Confucian values. Confucian culture defines obligations parents and children have to one another, and people and the state have to each other. In this context these obligations of respect and caring need to be extended to an ongoing conversation on the opportunities and threats that are to be found on the Internet.

Even if parents can no longer pry into their children's personal communications in Chongqing, maintaining effective communication with ones' children and nurturing their trust, can ensure that they do not stray from the best parental and societal values.

The author is Professor of International Communication at Macquarie University.

(China Daily 09/03/2010 page9)