To Combat Cyberbullying and Online Fraud, We Must Do More to Protect Minors

The last 20 years have fundamentally redefined how consumers behave online. The emergence of sites such as YouTube, Meta, and X has reshaped how we share and consume media. Online gaming platforms have exploded in popularity, and messaging applications like WhatsApp have made it easier to stay in touch. But there is a dark side to this evolution.

While the digital landscape has transformed, little has been done to shield minors from the adverse effects of online exposure, such as cyberbullying and extortion. Meanwhile, cybercriminals have adopted increasingly sophisticated methods to target users — with few or no consequences on the platforms where these individuals operate.

Data indicate that the scope and seriousness of online threats are only rising. The last time lawmakers passed legislation to address this issue was in 1998, when the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was enacted. Now, a landmark bill could begin the process of holding digital platforms accountable for harm posed to minors.

A ‘Duty of Care’ for Children Online

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which passed the Senate with bipartisan support in July, would require social media sites to create safeguards to protect minors from potentially harmful content, such as violence, pornography, hate speech, and misinformation. The bill would mandate that sites automatically enable the highest privacy and safety settings for children and allow younger users to opt out of features like personalized recommendations. It would also enforce a “duty of care” for digital platforms, including gaming and messaging sites, requiring them to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to minors.

KOSA, which has been paired with an updated version of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), represents the most significant congressional action to protect children online in decades. However, while this is a welcomed development for child safety advocates, evidence suggests it is only scratching the surface of a pervasive and growing problem.

Addressing an Escalating Threat

According to Javelin Strategy & Research, 73% of U.S. households are concerned about cyberbullying. However, less attention is given to the ways these behaviors can repeat and escalate, leading to instances of identity fraud and phishing. Javelin finds that cyberbullying is most prevalent among children aged 10 to 12 — a vulnerable group of users that often have little understanding of how to protect themselves online. Minors are most at risk of being cyberbullied on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook, although digital gaming and messaging platforms also pose a threat.

Online and social media engagement among children has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a surge in the use of digital technologies among users of all ages. Security.org reports that 79% of children active on YouTube have been cyberbullied since the pandemic. Meanwhile, only 11% of teenage victims of cyberbullying told their parents or caregivers, suggesting that, in many cases, adults are unlikely to be in a position to intervene.

Perhaps most disturbing, Javelin’s most recent “Child ID Theft: Social Cyber Risks and the Persistent Threat to Families” report finds that minors who are cyberbullied at a young age are more likely to be cyberbullied and victimized by identity fraud as they get older. Almost three-quarters (71%) of households that reported having a minor victimized by fraud noted that their child had previously been bullied, with 31% specifically cyberbullied.

The Correlation between Cyberbullying and Fraud

The compounding nature of cyberbullying, scams, and fraud emphasizes the need for proactive intervention. Rather than adapting their behavior based on early and negative experiences, research indicates that children who are targeted online in their youth are more likely to be vulnerable to socially engineered deceptive lures like phishing and romance scams as teenagers and adults.

Cyberbullying and online extortion are closely linked. Both occur on digital platforms such as social media, gaming, and messaging sites. Cyber attackers commonly use social engineering techniques to build trust before psychologically manipulating their targets into providing sensitive or confidential information. Similarly, cyberbullies make use of the growing volume of personal data available online to identify and exploit users’ vulnerabilities.

Caregivers can play a role in addressing the threat of cybercrime by educating children about the perils of sharing information online, monitoring digital activity, and investing in identity protection services (IDPS). However, after years of escalating risk, it is clear that federal action is necessary.

Holding Social Media Platforms to Account

As it stands, there are limited legal guardrails in place to protect minors online. There are few controls around how content is marketed and how accounts are vetted, and children signing up for social media platforms can often circumvent age restrictions simply by lying. KOSA represents a promising step in the right direction. But even if the bill successfully clears the House of Representatives, more must be done to ensure robust protections are established for children using the web.

For starters, consumers and lawmakers need to embrace a more expansive definition of social media, something for which KOSA lays the foundation. While many are familiar with high-profile cases of cyberbullying and abuse on platforms such as Meta and X, parents and guardians are less aware of the dangers posed by gaming sites. Javelin found in 2022 that 41% of children who fell prey to online scams were targeted after downloading a game or mobile application.

Online social, gaming, and messaging sites are unregulated, unpredictable, and risky. These platforms must be held accountable for monitoring the content they host, enforcing age restrictions, and complying with established models of parental consent. Until these sites face tangible consequences for the misconduct they play a role in facilitating, they will have no impetus to tighten their security measures to address the very real threats that minors encounter online.

About the Author

Tracy Kitten is the Director of Fraud and Security at Javelin Strategy & Research. Tracy is a recognized fraud and cybersecurity subject matter expert within the financial services community. A veteran journalist who has covered fraud, payments, financial technology, and cybersecurity for the last 20 years, Tracy has watched attacks and cyberthreats evolve, having spoken with countless industry experts, practitioners, and sometimes even hackers to anticipate what’s coming next.

As the Director of Fraud and Security at Javelin Strategy & Research, Tracy brings her years of experience to help her practices and their clients grow and strengthen resiliency. Tracy can be reached online at [email protected] and at https://javelinstrategy.com/.