
Secret ‘dark web’ apps that are luring your children online - kostaddin
https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Secret-dark-web-apps-that-are-luring-your-children-online-508914171.html
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joe_hoyle
I recently had a child, and being a very tech savvy person, I'm mostly
dreading the need to govern what they have access and do on their smartphones,
internet, websites etc.

My gut reaction is that parents looking through their children's phones, apps,
messages and photos is a huge invasion of privacy. As the article suggests
though, there's also the need to protect and manage what our children are
involved in, just like offline activities.

There's something about smartphones that is so personal, that there doesn't
quite seem to be a good comparison for pre-technology privacy. I don't think
I'd have a problem with dictating what my child watches on television, eats,
drinks, or otherwise consumes - but controlling smartphones seems something
more akin to thoughtcrime.

I was lucky enough to grow up when technology and connectivity was so new that
apparently it wasn't used in such a mainstream sinister way as it appears to
be now. Going through puberty seems like an even more harrowing experience
(ala the move Eighth Grade) with the internet, that seems to go quite
unnoticed.

~~~
simongray
> There's something about smartphones that is so personal, that there doesn't
> quite seem to be a good comparison for pre-technology privacy.

Maybe reading another person's diary?

~~~
_nalply
No, because the diary is not going to do something illegal online. It's
private, yes, but doesn't need the same attention like smartphones.

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randomacct3847
Pointless article. What apps are they even talking about? The only thing I
could remotely think of if they’re talking about buying guns online is some
dark net market linked to from a TOR browser app.

Honestly if a kid can not only figure out how to get to a dark net market but
set up a bitcoin wallet, convert fiat to bitcoin, use PGP to decrypt/encrypt
messages, and figure out how to get things delivered without their parents
knowing then are they really just kids?

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angrywhiteguy
So, this article was posted to over 15 affiliate stations all owned by Grey
Television. I have done an extensive research into this, and not only is this
sensational nonsense, it's downright misinformation and false. The app, the
woman is referring to (the "expert" which only appears in the original video)
that they "shake" is an ios App Safe Browser Secure. It is not pretending to
be any other app, has a lock as the logo, however does have vault access.
Immediately upon opening the app, even if password protected you see "TOR" in
big red letters at the top right of the screen, not discrete whatsoever.
Besides this single app, I can find none other on either IOS or android that
merge the concept of a Vault with Tor. I created an account to post this
because this bullshit misinformation makes me so fucking mad. We talk about
fake news on facebook, how about fake news in the actual media. Of these
outlets, they range from NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX. I am ashamed of the state of
things in this god forsaken country.

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arno1
How can you establish the trust without trusting in the first place? Parents
are like small government to their kids, but who likes being spied? By looking
through your kids phone you are violating their privacy and jeopardizing the
trust. They will always find the workaround and their workarounds will only
get better the more you are intruding their privacy. Be it online or offline.

~~~
RickJWagner
I'm a parent of 3 great kids, I don't agree.

My kids know that their parents are going to ask for their phones at any time,
for a random inspection. We tell the kids we are their parents, not their
friends. Our job is to raise them to understand accountability.

Besides giving them incentive to stay clean, it gives our kids an 'out' with
their friends. If they get some peer pressure to do something they shouldn't
(like post some inappropriate material online), they just have to explain "My
parents are really tough and they look at all my stuff!" We don't mind having
reputations as tough parents.

We've had no problems so far (oldest is about to graduate college.) As a
bonus, our kids tend to choose good friends also.

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pengstrom
From their list of "telltale signs":

>The second sign would be refusing to hand over passwords or let you look
through their phone.

Or you know, they value their privacy? We've all grown up with secrets from
our parents. That's completely normal and healthy.

Why not just talk to them about the dark web and why you find it
inappropriate?

~~~
ASalazarMX
>The second sign would be refusing to hand over passwords or let you look
through their phone.

This is only tangentially relevant, but somehow it reminded me of this very
old joke list "Is your son a computer hacker?"

[http://adequacy.org/diaries/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.htm...](http://adequacy.org/diaries/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html)

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batbomb
Just wait til they find out about IRC.

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mirimir
Seriously?

So what, are there apps that wrap Orbot in fake calculators etc?

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krustyburger
Oh, won’t somebody please think of the children!?

