Firstly, the popularity of such sites means they have become a favoured way of criminals to spread malware, which can have a variety of serious consequences.
It is also because of the very nature of the content being viewed, which will be unsuitable for people under 18, and may cause offence to others.
The Risks
- Exposing your computer or other devices to malware, which can have a number of serious consequences including:
- Being used to snoop on everything you do on your computer or other device, including monitoring financial transactions and activating your webcam.
- Locking down all your files until a ransom is paid (ransomware), or blackmail threats via other means.
- Making your device part of a botnet (a large network of devices used to flood websites with massive traffic they cannot handle)
- You may or may not know if your device has been infected with malware until fraud, identity theft or other types of crime have been committed against you.
- Exposing minors to inappropriate images, video, text and other content, for example if you are viewing adult content on a shared device, or they are looking over your shoulder.
- The possibility of inadvertently viewing pages which contain extreme and/or unlawful content.
- The temptation to deliberately ‘progress’ to viewing content which is extreme and/or unlawful.
Viewing adult content safely
- Visit only mainstream websites, as the reputable ones rely on their integrity to maintain earning income from advertisers and subscribers.
- Do not be tempted to click on links to websites offering or displaying unlawful content, or extreme content which may distress or shock you.
- Do not view adult content on a computer or other device which is accessed by minors, or others who you do not wish to know your viewing habits. If this is unavoidable, use browsing privacy settings, delete viewing history after each session and do not bookmark the websites.
Report issues
- If you become the victim of ransomware or other types of fraud, report it immediately to the Cyber Incident Response Team in the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology: 876-929-8990-9 or the Communication Forensics and Cybercrimes Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force: 876-967-5948 or 876-922-3288
- If you are using a mainstream adult website and are exposed to extreme or unlawful content that you did not expect to see, report it to the site concerned.
- If you find content concerning the abuse of children, report it to either the Office of The Children’s Advocate: 876-948-1293 or 876-948-1469 or the Child Protection and Family Services Agency:876-948-6678 or 876-948-2841-2
- Do not be too embarrassed or ashamed to report issues, as you could be saving yourself and others from future issues.