Parental Opinion on Downloading Illegal Content Online: Parent blogger Harriet Shearsmith joins the call for parents to educate themselves on the risks of digital piracy

Nearly six in 10 parents (56%) who admitted to illegally downloading content for their children to view said they had done so more frequently during the lockdown.

It is concerning that more than a quarter of parents (27%) said they would be comfortable downloading or streaming illegal content on behalf of their children, and almost one in five (18%) believe it is safe, indicating that they are not aware of the risks. and the dangers to which your children could be exposed.

However, more than 7 in 10 parents (71%) said they would be concerned or horrified if they inadvertently exposed their children to explicit or violent content by illegally downloading or streaming movies, TV shows or sports.

Dangers of digital piracy.: Parent blogger Harriet Shearsmith joins the call for parents to educate themselves on the risks of digital piracy

Recent data from the Industry Trust for IP Awareness suggests that they would be right to be concerned. The data ** found that 1 in 3 people who had accessed content illegally had been exposed to age-inappropriate content, such as offensive pop-ups while viewing, highlighting the risks that many parents could be exposing their children to .

The Trust’s data also found that nearly half of those who download or transmit illegally have experienced a virus or hacking, numbers that have risen significantly since the beginning of the year. It also suggests that the risk of experiencing these adverse effects from content piracy is increasing, with reports of piracy, viruses or malware, ransomware, blackmail, and extortion increasing significantly in the last 12 months.

New Hacking Advice Center to Help Parents on Dangers

The warning comes as Internet Matters launches an online video campaign with royal parents’ reactions to the dangers of digital piracy . An online center has also been created to help educate parents about the risks and help them keep their children safe from digital piracy. To support the launch, the organization has partnered with a mother of three and author of the award-winning Toby and Roo blog, Harriet Shearsmith.

Harriet Shearsmith said : “Like many parents and families, my children use technology and are more active online, from school work to seeing their favorite creators and staying in touch with friends and family.

“We all live online now more than ever. And being aware of our safety online as a family is very important to me.

“That is why I have partnered with Internet Matters in this campaign to help inform and educate other parents about the dangers of downloading or transmitting illegal content.”

Carolyn Bunting, CEO of Internet Matters, said : “This research highlights that many parents may not be fully aware of the risks of digital piracy.

“While children and adults alike may be tempted to stream or download a movie or TV show, if not done through legitimate services, an innocent click can put them at risk of viewing inappropriate content or accidentally installing malware on it. your device, putting and financial information at risk.

“That is why we are launching an online center and campaign. We want to give parents the knowledge and tools to help them choose safe content sources. “

Tips to protect children from the risks associated with digital piracy

• Use parental controlsto help restrict access to internet browsing on internet connected devices. While they are not 100% effective, they can help minimize the risks your children may face. Please note that there are no parental controls on illegal streaming devices, so children may be at risk of viewing inappropriate content
• Explain the risks. to stream and view illegally pirated content to your children and show them where they can safely view content. It is very important to teach your child skills such as critical thinking and resilience so that he knows what to do if he is at risk.
• Stick to legitimate services when you watch content online or on your TV, as these must have an appropriate age rating
• Download apps you trust to streaming devices or smart TVs, like BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD, and Demand 5. Subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and NOW TV also have apps with kids’ content that you can download
• Set limits online by finding out what your child likes to do online and agreeing on which websites and apps are the best to use