Parry Aftab
Encyclopedia
Parry Aftab is an American
lawyer
specializing in Internet privacy and security law, and is considered "one of the founders of the field of cyberlaw". She is the Executive Director of WiredSafety.org, a volunteer organization dedicated to online safety. She was featured in Chris Hansen
's book, To Catch a Predator. She created the StopCyberbullying Coalition to help address cyberbullying and digital abuse issues.
She was appointed to the federal NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) and the Berkman Center's Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF). Facebook appointed her to its Safety Advisory Board. She advises MTV as well.
Parry is married to a Canadian child advocate, Allan McCullough. She has two children.
Aftab was one of 24 experts and industry leaders appointed to the Congressionally created NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) in 2009. She was one of the 29 members of the Berkman Center's Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF). On April 15, 2009 Parry joined Diane Sawyer in the first town meeting on morning TV, on the topic of sexting. She keynoted the Children and ICT event held in Gijón
, Spain as part of the EU Safer Internet initiative.
In 2009, Parry Aftab created the StopCyberbullying Coalition to help address cyberbullying and digital abuse issues. The StopCyberbullying Coalition members include Facebook, AOL, Microsoft, Build-A-Bear, Procter & Gamble, Google, Yahoo!, Disney, Webkinz, the Girl Scouts of the USA, Buzz Marketing Group, MTV and others. Her work on sexting issues began in 1998 when a teenaged girl sent nude and sexual videos to a boy she liked. She is working with the families of the girls who took their own lives after their sexting images were used to harass them and were broadcast to their communities.
Facebook appointed Aftab to its Safety Advisory Board. She advises MTV as well.
Parry Aftab told the Minnesota School Board Association at their annual meeting in August 2009 that they need to address cyberbullying. She warned that they have to adopt a cell phone policy and enforce it.
Following September 11, Parry Aftab's charity, WiredSafety, helped protect the families of those killed at the World Trade Center. She worked to help children worldwide get past the fear they felt following the attacks. She found a rescue worker who had worked at Ground Zero with his search and rescue dog, Servous. To help children understand the rescue dogs issue better, she wrote a children's story published on WiredKids.org.
. In 2000, Penguin Putnam
published a book titled Katie.com. Internet domain www.katie.com was owned by Katie Jones
, and a dispute arose between the publisher and Jones. In 2004 Aftab contacted Jones and, in an effort to address concerns relating to young people visiting Jones's site thinking it was the official book site of the story of a victim of an Internet sexual predator, asked Jones to donate the site to a cybersafety charity or redirect traffic from the young readers to the charity site. Jones refused. Aftab accused her of having a hidden agenda, which Jones considered to be cyberbullying. In an interview, Jones stated that she was being emotionally blackmailed and that Aftab told her that "things would 'only get worse' for me" if she did not transfer the domain. Jones received support from the online community, and eventually Penguin renamed the book A Girl's Life Online.
On the weekend of July 22nd 2011 - an anonymous internet denizen sent a SWAT team to her New Jersey home.
"2009 Unlearning Intolerance Seminar" entitled, "Cyberhate: Danger in Cyber Space."
In November 2010, "Mrs. Aftab [became] the 2010 New Jersey recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award (DCLA)".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
specializing in Internet privacy and security law, and is considered "one of the founders of the field of cyberlaw". She is the Executive Director of WiredSafety.org, a volunteer organization dedicated to online safety. She was featured in Chris Hansen
Chris Hansen
Christopher Edward "Chris" Hansen is an American television infotainment personality. He is known for his work on Dateline NBC, in particular the former segment known as To Catch a Predator, which revolved around catching potential Internet sex predators using a sting operation.-Career:Hansen...
's book, To Catch a Predator. She created the StopCyberbullying Coalition to help address cyberbullying and digital abuse issues.
She was appointed to the federal NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) and the Berkman Center's Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF). Facebook appointed her to its Safety Advisory Board. She advises MTV as well.
Biography
Aftab began working in the area of online safety in 1997. Her work expanded to helping educators.Parry is married to a Canadian child advocate, Allan McCullough. She has two children.
Charitable activities
Aftab assisted the UN at its recent Cyberhate Conference.Aftab was one of 24 experts and industry leaders appointed to the Congressionally created NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) in 2009. She was one of the 29 members of the Berkman Center's Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF). On April 15, 2009 Parry joined Diane Sawyer in the first town meeting on morning TV, on the topic of sexting. She keynoted the Children and ICT event held in Gijón
Gijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
, Spain as part of the EU Safer Internet initiative.
In 2009, Parry Aftab created the StopCyberbullying Coalition to help address cyberbullying and digital abuse issues. The StopCyberbullying Coalition members include Facebook, AOL, Microsoft, Build-A-Bear, Procter & Gamble, Google, Yahoo!, Disney, Webkinz, the Girl Scouts of the USA, Buzz Marketing Group, MTV and others. Her work on sexting issues began in 1998 when a teenaged girl sent nude and sexual videos to a boy she liked. She is working with the families of the girls who took their own lives after their sexting images were used to harass them and were broadcast to their communities.
Facebook appointed Aftab to its Safety Advisory Board. She advises MTV as well.
Parry Aftab told the Minnesota School Board Association at their annual meeting in August 2009 that they need to address cyberbullying. She warned that they have to adopt a cell phone policy and enforce it.
Following September 11, Parry Aftab's charity, WiredSafety, helped protect the families of those killed at the World Trade Center. She worked to help children worldwide get past the fear they felt following the attacks. She found a rescue worker who had worked at Ground Zero with his search and rescue dog, Servous. To help children understand the rescue dogs issue better, she wrote a children's story published on WiredKids.org.
Controversy
Aftab was involved in a dispute surrounding the domain katie.comKatie.com
Katie.com is an autobiographical book that details how author Katie Tarbox was stalked and almost molested at age 13 by Frank Kufrovich, a pedophile and sexual predator whom she met on the Internet. Her book was controversial for the legal troubles it generated, among other things...
. In 2000, Penguin Putnam
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
published a book titled Katie.com. Internet domain www.katie.com was owned by Katie Jones
Katie Jones (web entrepreneur)
Katie Jones created the Internet chat site UKChat. After studying music at Cambridge, she joined MSN in 1995 and helped launch its community pages. She later moved on to AOL. In 1997, she launched UKChat. It shutdown in 2007....
, and a dispute arose between the publisher and Jones. In 2004 Aftab contacted Jones and, in an effort to address concerns relating to young people visiting Jones's site thinking it was the official book site of the story of a victim of an Internet sexual predator, asked Jones to donate the site to a cybersafety charity or redirect traffic from the young readers to the charity site. Jones refused. Aftab accused her of having a hidden agenda, which Jones considered to be cyberbullying. In an interview, Jones stated that she was being emotionally blackmailed and that Aftab told her that "things would 'only get worse' for me" if she did not transfer the domain. Jones received support from the online community, and eventually Penguin renamed the book A Girl's Life Online.
On the weekend of July 22nd 2011 - an anonymous internet denizen sent a SWAT team to her New Jersey home.
Awards and honors
In June 2009, Aftab contributed to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
"2009 Unlearning Intolerance Seminar" entitled, "Cyberhate: Danger in Cyber Space."
In November 2010, "Mrs. Aftab [became] the 2010 New Jersey recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award (DCLA)".
Works
- Child Abuse on the Internet. Ending the Silence, Carlos A. Arnaldo, Ed., Chapter 21: "The Technical Response: Blocking, Filtering and Rating the Internet", pp. 135–140 (2001) ISBN 9231037285 ISBN 978-9231037283
- Inocencia en Peligro : Conviva con sus Hijos y Protéjalos Cuando Naveguen por Internet (2001) ISBN 9701032977 ISBN 978-9701032978
- The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace (1999) ISBN 0071357521 ISBN 978-0071357524
- Parents Guide to the Internet: And How to Protect Your Children in Cyberspace (1997) ISBN 0966049101 ISBN 978-0966049107
- Servous The Rescue Dog (online, undated)
External links
- CyberLawEnforcement.org - "a network of law enforcement officers, who specialize in cybercrime investigation, training other law enforcement officers and who assist cybercrime victims online"
- KatiesPlace.org - "for young victims of Internet sexual exploitation"
- NetBullies.com - "preventing and handling cyberbullying and harassment"
- Parry Aftab, Esq., The Privacy Lawyer™ - "managing cybercrime, privacy and cyber-abuse risks"
- Parry Aftab's Blog - "where Parry Aftab blogs on cybersafety, privacy and cybersense"
- STOPCyberBullying.org - "cyberbullying - what it is, how it works and how to understand and deal with cyberbullies"
- Teenangels.org - "the award-winning teen cybersafety expert group"
- WiredKids.com - "protecting children from Internet-related child sexual exploitation, and creating a safer Internet for all"
- WiredKids.org - "the ultimate online safety project for kids, tweens and teens!"
- WiredSafety.org - "the world's largest Internet safety, help and education resource"