Sexual blackmail via webcam, revenge porn, fake accounts, scams, exposure to pornography; ; Since the start of lockdown, calls received by the national freephone number NET LISTENING have increased significantly (+20%). Reports to platforms have doubled, leading to the closure of numerous accounts, particularly in cooperation with Snapchat and Instagram. Although 16-year-old female secondary school students make the most reports (73%), boys – secondary school students aged 14 on average – are the primary victims of webcam blackmail.
This period of lockdown poses even greater risks for children and teenagers who are overexposed to screens, often alone with their smartphones or even isolated in their bedrooms. But also in the context of their online classes, where incidents and intrusions are not uncommon (insults, hate speech, sharing of pornographic links).
Beyond the above-mentioned risks to minors, parents« need for information is growing: cyberbullying, excessive video game consumption, account hacking, fake news and conspiracy theories.
Free, anonymous and confidential, NET ECOUTE is the national helpline specialising in the protection of minors on the Internet and all issues faced by young people in their digital practices.
Managed by the e-Enfance Association (child protection on the Internet since 2005, recognised as a public utility), it helps teenagers, parents and professionals by providing practical advice and psychological, technical and legal assistance, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm.
It is the only alert system that is directly linked to social media, the National Police's «Pharos» platform, the National Gendarmerie's «Brigade numérique» platform, and the 119-Enfance en Danger helpline.
As a founding member of the government website cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, NET ECOUTE also participates in the real-time monitoring and alerting work carried out by this platform.
With the extension of lockdown, particular attention must be paid to young people, who are the most vulnerable and may engage in risky behaviour (dangerous challenges such as the Blue Whale or Momo Challenge; visiting pro-ana websites that promote anorexia; sharing suicidal thoughts, etc.).
The e-Enfance Association and its NET ECOUTE helpline recommend never leaving young children alone on the Internet and reinforcing the parental control by providing parents with a dedicated space for activating this system.
