Belgium Combats Online Paedophiles
From now on, children will be able to chat safely with their peers, thanks to world’s first electronic ID control.
The Safer Chat system was subjected to its maiden launch in Belgium as a joint initiative of the federal government there, the largest Internet Service Providers and several software developers.
Children aged from 12 to 15 will receive an electronic identity card with a chi, from the federal government. This card will become the standard for all Belgian citizens. The age of the chatting children will be checked by their ID-cards so paedophiles will no longer be able to falsely adopt a younger age and infiltrate chat rooms.
In order to gain access to a protected chat room, the ID-card will have to be put into a card reader. The user then has to confirm their presence behind the keyboard by entering a secret PIN-code. When all the data corresponds, the child is allowed to enter the protected chat room.
This electronic ID control cannot be skirted because the user must have both the card and the PIN-code at their disposal. To encourage the use of this system, all 12 year olds in Belgium, totalling 120,000 youngsters, will receive a free e-card reader.
It will be interesting to see how the scheme takes off in Belgium. If it's successful, other European countries may start to adopt the system.
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