The Indian government is recommending parents use spyware and internet gateway applications that can monitor content on the internet in a bid to curb excessive online gaming, according to an advisory released by the Ministry of Education. The advisory asked parents to: Install internet gateway at home which has features like monitoring, logging and controlling the types of content that the children can access. Use antivirus/spyware programs and configure web browsers securely using firewall. Although the harms of online gaming are real, the suggested use of spyware and other applications to monitor children's online activities is concerning as it could undermine their privacy and freedom of expression. Play along with your child to get a sense of how they are handling personal information: Govt These are the other recommendations that the Indian government made to parents — Take a screenshot of any issue spotted while playing a game and report it. Do not let children use their real names while gaming. Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser as it helps restrict access to certain content and limit spending on in-game purchases. Report if a stranger starts a conversation "with inappropriate or requests personal information". Check the age rating of the games the child is playing. "In case of a bullying, encourage not to respond and keep a record of the harassing messages and report the behaviour to the game site administrator/block, mute or ‘unfriend’ that person from their players list, or turn…
