US President Barack Obama advised youngsters not to get dumb in online social networks.
Obama's advice could be interpreted this way: Don't reveal too much personal information on the net, as such particulars could turn against you in your personal job prospects and even security in the future.
Before Obama sent out his warning, a British insurance company had pointed out in a report on internet crime that social network users often provided important details about themselves and their localities, offering a source of reference for potential criminals.
The same happens in Malaysia and anywhere else on earth. Online platforms have been abused by irresponsible individuals for fraud, data theft and blackmailing purposes, and this has taken place way before online networks have taken the world in a big way.
These online social networks have managed to lure a large following through very simple ways such that personal details, even whereabouts and lifestyles are easily exposed, awaiting the potential plunderer.
The online world is indeed very colourful and captivating. Many youngsters rather lock themselves at home mingling with their virtual friends than facing the realistic life.
With more and more convenient features being offered by online social networks, all kinds of chores related to work, entertainment or shopping could now be done online. Indeed, the virtual world has evolved to look very much the same as the real world, and slowly things which happen in the real work will now take place in the virtual world, including crimes.
As President Obama has warned, we have to be particularly cautious in the virtual world in order not to fall prey to crime.
We have seen all forms of frauds in the real world, and many people have since been victimised because we have let down our guard owing to some petty advantages offered. Although we have read a good deal of reports on such fraudulent cases in the media, many still choose to believe that luck is always by their side.
If people could get so easily swindled in the real world, won't it be more so in the virtual world? There is this saying that a very "intimate" virtual friend of yours could turn out to be a dog that knows how to surf the net, for you have totally no clue of the other party's actual background!
This should serve to remind us that anything can happen online and we just have to be extra careful.
We need a reliable and comprehensive regulatory system to shore up online security and batter online crime, even though such a system may not always be welcome by the net users.
Besides, regulation of online postings has to be carried out carefully in order not to be construed as suppression of speech freedom.
Even with laws and regulations, crimes are omnipresent and people still get hoaxed. As such, we must stay highly alert and sobre at all times.
Sure enough, nothing comes free under the sun. Wherever we are, we must never allow ourselves to get more dumb.
Translated by Dominic Loh
--Sin Chew Daily
