Cyber Threats Against Minors: A Growing Concern in Tunisia
The Minister of Communication Technologies, Soufiene Hemissi, warned today, Wednesday, about the increasing severity of cyber threats targeting minors due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasized that these threats are starting to impact the culture, language, and privacy of Tunisia as a conservative country. This statement was made during a national conference organized by the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Ministries of National Defense and Communication Technologies, titled "Cybercrime in the Light of Artificial Intelligence and Modern Technological Developments," held at the National School of Training for National Security and Police Cadres.
Misinformation and Challenges of Digital Education
The Minister indicated that the dangers of online navigation for minors are no longer limited to accessing immoral content, but now include the inculcation of false historical, religious, and civilizational information. Mr. Hemissi stated that students rely on platforms such as "ChatGPT" as a source of information, considering them as sacred truths, while they may contain false orientations regarding history and religion, which could negatively affect the education of children in Tunisia. He also warned that some global organizations are rewriting history and erasing facts, only to integrate this information as established truths on search engines and digital conversations.
Calls for Coordination and Protection of Minors
The Minister called on all ministries to unite to protect youth against these dangers, noting that the average online navigation time for minors aged 12 to 16 is 8 hours a day, a figure he described as alarming. On his part, international cyber security expert Mohamed Hamdi emphasized that the aggravation of cybercrime against vulnerable categories in Tunisia, particularly minors, is due to the lack of awareness of this phenomenon, calling for the organization of awareness campaigns on violations and prevention methods. Mr. Hamdi indicated that securing accounts with passwords is no longer sufficient, urging the use of additional applications to protect personal pages and reducing the publication of private videos and photos to limit opportunities for content fabrication via artificial intelligence. He also warned against the fact that extortion operations against minors through video or photo fabrication are now accessible even to children and no longer require great expertise, which increases the severity of current digital threats.
Key Takeaways
- Cyber threats against minors in Tunisia are increasing due to the use of artificial intelligence.
- False information and misinformation are major challenges in digital education.
- Coordination and protection of minors are essential to combat cybercrime.
- Awareness campaigns and additional security measures are necessary to prevent cyber threats.
- The use of artificial intelligence can facilitate extortion operations against minors, making it a growing concern in Tunisia.
