SAFE ZONE

PROTECTION AGENCY RAISES ALARM OVER INTERNET RISKS TO CHILDREN

- Natnaree Likidwatanasakun

The greatest threat to children’s safety today is not on the streets but online, according to Mattias Bjorkqvist, Executive Director of For Freedom International (FFI), a Phuket-based foundation combating human trafficking and exploitation.

“Parents are using mobile phones as a babysitting device, so children at a very young age are exposed to social media and materials they should not see,” he said. “Since COVID-19, children’s online consumption has risen by 40% and remains high, leaving them more vulnerable to grooming, sexual extortion, and exploitation through live streaming.”