Category: Business

Parents have to protect their children on the Internet

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, gave an interesting interview to a German news page a few days ago. Although the interview was rather short, it contained some striking answers. In the past, the former CEO of Google was responsible for one or the other nice quote, as in late 2010, when it came to the visions of Google.

Now Eric Schmidt was asked if parents have to protect their children online. However, there is still one unanswered question as to whether parents are able to protect their children online.

Do parents have to protect their children?

“Of course! They have a great responsibility. Children are usually not aware of the fact that everything they post on the Internet will accompany them for a lifetime. What has been published cannot be deleted. And there will always be someone who has a copy. Therefore, I think parents should always know what their children do on the net. They should know their children’s passwords until they are 18.”

Of course, the parents’ duty of care for their children also applies for the Internet.  The question is whether children can be controlled and give out their passwords….

There is a Right to be Remembered

It isn’t easy to keep a good reputation on the net, because there’s just no general online right to be forgotten. It is a fact that public data, links, or images are found by search engines and can be copied or stored by third parties. Therefore, it is often quite difficult to identify and contact the source of information. A deletion is then, usually, connected with some effort, be it time, nerves, or money.

On this blog we have already discussed many times before, that the demand for a right to be forgotten is quite unrealistic. Indeed, there also is a right to be remembered.

Apart from that, it is very difficult or even impossible to technically implement a right to be forgotten on the Internet. Not to mention the legal interpretation of a globally applicable “right to be forgotten”.  Additionally, there is also the “right to be remembered” on the net. It would certainly be wrong, if a convicted criminal, for example, refers to his right to be forgotten and would wipe away his digital life. Here, freedom of press and public need for information are two important keywords.

What is the solution then?

We must come to the point where users consider what they post on the Internet about themselves or others.

Maintain Your Good Reputation

There is no doubt about the importance of a good reputation. It is important for your private life as well as for your job and career. In this context, the Internet can both be helpful and damaging. On one hand, negative information about oneself can hardly be deleted from the net, because there is no right to be forgotten on the Internet. On the other hand, the own professional development can be supported in a positive way with the help of the Internet, for example through appropriate measures of self-portrayal.

But how can you maintain your good reputation? The good reputation is not limited to the Internet, but also applies to the professional life and even to your love life. Regarding the love life, a good reputation certainly is beneficial.

An important statement has been currently made by U.S. scientists, more specifically by anthropologists from the University of Missouri:

„If you wish to have a good reputation, then help more people. Don’t help one and the same person too often.” Continue reading Maintain Your Good Reputation