What a social media like may look like – How we can protect ourselves online

It may seem excessive to many, but even a like in a friend’s photo is essentially a hint to someone else about our preferences. Even agreeing with something written by a third party provides information about our views. An innocent photo with a group of young people drinking beer on a beach may influence a future employer to judge one of the young people in the photo negatively or consider him an alcoholic because he seems to be drinking a beer and having fun with it. The above was mentioned by the professor of Technology and Security of Computer Networks at the International University of Greece, Costas Cheilas, speaking at an event organized online for elementary and high school students from the Region of Central Macedonia and the Subregion in the field of Education, “Safe Internet Browsing”.

What data is recorded – Special algorithms analyze it

According to Mr. Cheilas, every interaction with the internet creates a plethora of data about our individual while at the same time there is essentially a “mining” of data. The information collected is the personal data that a person can identify (name, home address, email, credit card details, location data, etc.) but also sensitive personal data (racial origin, political views, religious or philosophical beliefs, health, love life etc.). At the same time, data such as gender, age, shopping habits, friends, work, contacts, opinions, personality traits, preferences and financial status emerge. “All of this is recorded on various platforms and applications,” he said, noting that there are software and data mining algorithms that analyze the data to find various correlations.

Speaking at the event, ND (EPP) MEP Maria Spyraki announced that on January 20, the European Parliament voted in favor of taking further measures to settle illegal content by platforms called to account for the rights of algorithms to protect deal with unfair practices. On the same wavelength, Georgios Papaprodromou, Lt. General of the Hellenic Police A graduate of the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a cybercrime expert, advised everyone to “upload” something on social media because, as he stressed, “when something goes up, it stays for always”. He stressed that today “the game is played on who owns this data” and advised everyone to read the policy and operating conditions of social networking platforms, to be aware of age restrictions and to consult the data protection authority, CyberAlert and CyberKid.

What can one do to protect oneself?

During the event, the speakers and participants presented a series of useful instructions and directions that can be followed by all those who wish to safely navigate the Internet. In particular, Mr. Cheilas suggested:

-to maintain anonymous presence,

-protect his data and information,

-do not post photos or videos that he would not show to people in the real world,

– not to respond to letters, emails, sms, and other messages asking for information if he does not know where they come from,

-do not meet alone with someone you met online,

-to interrupt the conversation when someone makes him feel uncomfortable,

-not to store unnecessary data on devices and not to fill them with useless software,

– close applications from the devices it flies,

-insure computers with good and different passwords,

-update operating system, software and antivirus programs,

– not to use personal data through public wi fi networks or shared computers

-to put different passwords and where possible to activate two-factor authentication.

In case, in case, that there is a problem in the interaction of a child with people on the internet, he recommended to immediately address someone, their parents, their friends, their teachers but also to reference lines that are anonymous. If, after all, things are much more serious, anyone can turn to the Police and the Cybercrime Prosecution. On his part, Mr. Papaprodromou underlined that the World Health Organization proposes less screen in our lives and more movement and announced that we can report a cybercrime, from anywhere in the country on a 24-hour basis, through the relevant platform at gov.gr and of the indications “Citizenship and everyday life” and “complaints”.

To live or not to live?

Finally, to the question and the relevant pun “does one (play) live or not (play) live?” The coordinator of Digital Literacy in the Attica Region, Aris Louvris, advised children to play and live and in any case to know that the toy industry is the largest entertainment industry in the world. Indicatively, he mentioned that the creator of one of the most famous and well-known computer games made it available for free and became a billionaire by selling something useless, a sign of reward. In this context, he invited the children to play, of course, but not to “bite” with the free applications.

Charistea message on the occasion of the deadly fan attack in Charilaou, Thessaloniki

Welcoming the online event, the Deputy Governor of Digital Government Angelos Charisteas referred specifically to children and the role of the internet for them, noting that according to surveys, 73% of respondents worldwide say that they can not imagine their life without a smartphone. % of 8 to 16 year olds are constantly connected to the internet, sharing a lot of information on the internet and often sensitive aspects of their lives and this hides the corresponding risks.

On the occasion of the deadly fan attack in Charilaou, Thessaloniki, he called on the young men and women to be very careful, not to be fanatical and to be very careful who they let into their personal lives.

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