Nearly 223 million netizens in my country are students. Is the "youth model" really protected or formal?
The 46th "Statistical Report on China's Internet Development Status" recently released by the China Internet Network Information Center shows that as of June this year, the number of Internet users in my country has reached 940 million, of which 18.3% are Internet users under the age of 19 and 172 million.
In terms of occupation, students accounted for the largest proportion, reaching 23.7%.
In other words, nearly 223 million Internet users are still in the reading stage.
The Internet has now become an important way for minors to obtain information, understand the world, and enjoy leisure and entertainment. However, the content of the Internet is mixed and muddy, and it is easy to cause harm to minors who are not yet sound and weak in self-control.
Watching live broadcasts, watching videos, and playing games. Minors addicted to the Internet not only delay their studies, but also things like "16-year-old girls reward anchors, 550,000 possessions are squandered", "Bear kids reward anchors 120,000, parents call for help" Things happen repeatedly.
When it comes to minors’ Internet access, parents have a lot to say.
Reporter:
Will he (child) be restricted from using short videos?
Citizen:
Yes, I won't let him watch it, it affects study too much.
Citizen:
Yes, I don't like children being exposed to electronic products.
Reporter:
Do you know that short video platforms have a youth model?
Citizen:
I don't know, I rarely watch it.
Citizen:
I know, every time you turn on Douyin, it will pop out first, but I haven't used it.
Citizen:
Some (youth mode) teach children the kind of positive energy, I think it is quite good.
Citizen:
I know, but I didn't open it, tell the truth.
Citizen:
Will pay attention to what he (child) is watching, and will not deliberately develop this (youth) mode.
If it is said that children do not have this kind of self-control, then you must be useful. The original intention of its (teenage mode) itself is designed to have this meaning.
Citizen:
To a certain extent, it will limit the scope of children's online search, as well as restrict his behavior.
Citizen:
I think we need this mode, because some children use their mobile phones by themselves. This (teenage mode) is something that many parents need to set up on their mobile phones at the beginning. If this setting is not done, then they can’t control it.
53 video and live broadcast platforms launched "Youth Mode"
The "youth model" mentioned by parents just now actually refers to the "youth anti-addiction system" led by the National Internet Information Office in March 2019. The main short video platform and live broadcast platform were launched on a pilot basis. The system will be used during the period of use. Regulate minors’ online behavior in terms of, duration, functions, and browsing content.
As of October this year, 53 online video and live broadcast platforms have launched the "Youth Mode".
Is the "teenage model" really protective or formal?
How exactly is the "teenage model" used?
What kind of protective effect can be achieved?
The reporter randomly selected several applications from the 53 online video and live broadcast platforms that have already launched the "Youth Mode".
For most of these applications, when they are used for the first time every day, the system will prompt a pop-up window. Enter a 4-digit password to enter the "Youth Mode".
At the same time, some applications can also screen out users of left-behind children in rural areas through technical means such as tracking geographic location and analyzing user behavior, and automatically switch to the "teenage mode" for them.
Due to its non-compulsory use, the specific settings of the "Youth Mode" on each network platform are not exactly the same.
But it usually includes: entering or exiting the mode, you need to enter the four-digit password set in advance; after entering the "youth mode", the cumulative duration of each use cannot exceed 40 minutes, after 40 minutes, if you want to continue to use, you need to enter the password again; In addition, every day from 22:00 to 6:00 the next day, if you want to use the short video App, you must also enter a password.
The above settings can effectively help parents control the time and duration of their children online.
In addition, the "youth mode" usually prohibits the use of the platform's functions such as rewarding, recharging, withdrawing, live broadcasting, and publishing opinions.
In terms of content, most of what is pushed to users are learning courses and popular science knowledge suitable for teenagers.
Are "firewalls" set up on all network platforms?
It seems that the "youth mode" can indeed strengthen the protection of underage Internet users like a firewall.
However, the reporter also found in the investigation that although some online platforms have launched the "youth mode", there are still many problems in actual operations.
The reporter opened a short video app with a wide range of applications and chose to enter the youth mode, but soon found content that was obviously unsuitable for teenagers to watch. The screen was full of pornography, and the five big characters "youth mode" below were no longer valid.
The app has been downloaded 380 million times in the mobile app store, ranking third in the download list.
Wang Sixin, a member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, a professor at the Communication University of China, and vice president of the Beijing Network Law Research Association:
This standard (youth mode) is not a forced standard, it is only advocacy.
This measure of mine has been continuously improved and strictly implemented. It requires investment in time, energy, financial and material resources.
If it has not become a mandatory standard and is optional, then I can not do these things sincerely, or I can only meet the requirements of the regulatory authorities in form.
In addition to the lack of strict content control on some platforms, the "youth mode" also has technical loopholes in some applications.
The reporter searched and found that there are many online posts on how to crack the "teenage mode".
If you uninstall and reinstall the App, you can unlock all the content in guest mode.
The reporter tested a number of applications and found that the vulnerability was widespread. Only one short video App successfully circumvented this problem.
Another big loophole in the platform is the password issue.
The password set in the “Youth Mode” usually has only four digits, and the password will not be “locked after multiple mistakes”, which means that the user can guess the password repeatedly to unlock it.
Lin Ruijie, member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, and deputy director of the Internet and Software Department of the Tel Terminal Laboratory of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology:
We recommend that companies use facial recognition, fingerprint recognition and other biometrics and digital recognition technologies to solve the teenager mode login verification The problem.
Experts also pointed out that even if an application has a time limit of 40 minutes, but with multiple applications on the mobile phone, the total online time is still uncontrollable, and it is difficult to fundamentally solve the problem of teenagers' addiction to the Internet.
Lin Ruijie, a member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, and deputy director of the Internet and Software Department of the Tel Terminal Laboratory of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology:
First of all, the use time of a single App needs to be shared, and a platform is required to aggregate and control the information.
The second is that we can personalize the App duration that needs to be counted through the "parent's client", and can trigger an alarm, and (parents) can remotely control and block.
Some restricted functions are still available. "Youth mode" is there a blind spot?
In addition to the above vulnerabilities, the reporter found when testing a certain music app that its "youth mode" only restricted the live page, but did not take measures with social attributes such as online K song recording, commenting and following, and original music communities. Restrictive measures.
On a social platform, the reporter found that in the “teenage mode”, users can still follow, post comments, and even enter the mall for consumption.
What are the common problems in the "teenage model"?
Internet information security experts pointed out that there are currently four major problems in the "youth mode" of some platforms:
The user identity is difficult to confirm, and the use time can be extended by repeatedly inputting the password;
Some short video platforms are not strict about content;
The real-time information pushed by some platforms does not match the "teenage model";
Privacy protection is not perfect and user data is exposed.
What new laws and regulations have been added to protect young netizens?
According to the National Research Report on Internet Usage by Minors in 2019, 74% of minor Internet users have their own Internet devices, and the mobile phone ownership rate is as high as 63.6%.
In order to strengthen their protection, not long ago, my country revised the Law on the Protection of Minors for the third time, adding a special chapter on "Internet Protection".
The new version of the Law on the Protection of Minors that will be formally implemented on June 1, 2021, Article 74, paragraph 1, stipulates that no enterprise may provide products and services that induce addiction.
The second paragraph of Article 74 stipulates that network service providers of "online games, webcasting, online audio and video, online social networking, etc." shall set up "time management, authority management, consumption management, etc." functions for minors to use their services.
Article 71 stipulates that guardians should improve their Internet literacy, regulate their own use of the Internet, and then guide and supervise the use of the Internet by minors.
Guardians should install minor network protection software, select appropriate service modes and management functions, etc.
Wang Sixin, member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, Professor of Communication University of China, and Vice President of Beijing Network Law Research Association: It is
necessary to prevent Internet services from providing its services for commercial purposes, and form data kidnapping and social kidnapping of minors to young people. Let minors form some bad habits of using the Internet.
Then we are not saying let him not use it, nor let him use it less, but let him use it. The other is to let him control and control the use, let him become the owner of various services on the Internet, rather than let him become the Internet Slaves of service.
(CCTV reporter Wu Wei, Liu Xin, Lu Nian Li Jun)