[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 98 (Monday, July 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            INTERNET SAFETY

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                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, July 7, 2003

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize I-Safe and the 
Home Depot for announcing June 2003 as National Internet Safety Month. 
I-Safe and the Home Depot have teamed up to combat victimization of 
America's youth on the internet. They have chosen the month of June 
because it marks the beginning of summer when children spend the most 
time without supervision and the most time online. I know that we are 
all aware of the dangers the internet potentially holds, not only to 
us, but to our families and children as well. This is why I support 
educating America's citizens about the internet. Each month, forty-
eight million children in the United States go online to chat with 
their friends, play, and/or do research. These children spend a 
combined five billion hours online each year and the numbers continue 
to increase. With children spending more time online, predators are 
presented with more opportunity. One in five children who use chat 
rooms has received an unwanted solicitation online and this is 
unacceptable.
  We must teach our kids about the serious threats they can face on-
line. Recent studies have shown that forty percent of students do not 
understand the danger of exchanging pictures with strangers they have 
met on the internet and sixty percent do not understand the danger of 
meeting a stranger they have met online in person. Often times, parents 
do not know their children are meeting strangers on-line and this 
contributes to the problem. Seventy-five percent of parents say they 
know when their children spend time online, but the majority of 
teenagers log on right after school, before their parents arrive home. 
Also, most children who are harassed online do not usually reveal the 
harassment to their parents because they are afraid their parents may 
ban computer usage.
  Many tend to think that harm on the internet extends only to 
children, however this is a false assumption. Most adults do not 
realize their identity can also be easily stolen on the internet. 
According to the FBI, identity theft has become the fastest growing 
financial crime in America, simply because a person can be identified 
based on three things: their date of birth, gender, and zip code. Most 
importantly, during this turbulent time in our nation's history, 
education is key to protecting not only personal security, but also 
national security. Our critical e-infrastructure must be protected from 
hacking, net vandalism, and virus proliferation.
  Thank you for the opportunity to discuss internet safety. I urge 
other Members to become involved on this issue. The internet has vastly 
improved our lives and opened the door to a world of opportunity, but 
with these technological advances comes a great deal of responsibility. 
Unfortunately, there are people out there who seek to exploit this new 
medium in communication. I applaud I-Safe's effort to educate children 
and adults on the internet and will continue to work with this 
organization to promote internet safety. Thank you.

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