{"id":8212,"date":"2021-10-06T17:08:11","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T17:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1369112"},"modified":"2021-10-06T17:08:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T17:08:11","slug":"study-warning-people-against-sharing-risky-content-actually-encourages-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=8212","title":{"rendered":"Study: Warning people against sharing risky content actually encourages them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apple\u2019s plan to roll out tools to limit the spread of child sexual abuse material has drawn praise from some privacy and security experts as well as by child protection advocacy groups. There has also been an outcry about invasions of privacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These concerns have obscured another even more troublesome problem that has received very little attention: Apple\u2019s new feature uses design elements shown by research to backfire.<\/p>\n

One of these new features adds a parental control option to Messages that blocks the viewing of sexually explicit pictures. The expectation is that parental surveillance of the child\u2019s behavior will decrease the viewing or sending of sexually explicit photos, but this is highly debatable.<\/p>\n

We are<\/a> two psychologists<\/a> and a computer scientist<\/a>. We have conducted extensive research on why people share risky images online. Our recent research reveals that warnings about privacy on social media do not reduce photo-sharing nor increase concern about privacy. In fact, these warnings, including Apple\u2019s new child safety features, can increase rather than reduce<\/a> risky sharing of photos.<\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s child safety features<\/h2>\n

Apple announced on Aug. 5, 2021 that it plans to introduce new child safety features in three areas<\/a>. The first, relatively uncontroversial feature is that Apple\u2019s search app and virtual assistant Siri will provide parents and children with resources and help<\/a> if they encounter potentially harmful material.<\/p>\n

The second feature will scan images on people\u2019s devices that are also stored in iCloud Photos to look for matches in a database of child sexual abuse images provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other child safety organizations. After a threshold for these matches is reached, Apple manually reviews each machine match to confirm the content of the photo, and then disables the user\u2019s account and sends a report to the center. This feature has generated much controversy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The last feature adds a parental control option to Messages, Apple\u2019s texting app, that blurs sexually explicit pictures when children attempt to view them. It also warns the children about the content, presents helpful resources and assures them it is OK if they do not want to view the photo. If the child is 12 or under, parents will get a message if the child views or shares a risky photo.<\/p>\n

There has been little public discussion of this feature, perhaps because the conventional wisdom is that parental control is necessary and effective. This is not always the case, however, and such warnings can backfire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When warnings backfire<\/h2>\n

In general, people are more likely than not to avoid risky sharing, but it\u2019s important to reduce the sharing that does occur. An analysis of 39 studies<\/a> found that 12% of young people forwarded a sext, or sexually explicit image or video, without consent, and 8.4% had a sext of themselves forwarded without consent. Warnings might seem like an appropriate way to do so. Contrary to expectation, we have found that warnings about privacy violations often backfire.<\/p>\n