Proposed Girl Chat Security Post

The following post has been put together by members of the GC Community and Administrative Committee. Whilst it is not our aim to lay down hard rules, this post will objectively explain some of the risks often associated with posting on GC and similar forums. Regular users - particularly those who wish to stay anonymous are asked to process this information and make rational decisions based on their own personal situations.

Finally, before proceeding with the post, we would like to note that despite the later explained threats posed by organised hate groups, there is also the far less explicit threat of censorship of childlovers by fear and paranoia. This is very much an aim of those who would seek to humiliate us - it's result being that trusting communications, real life communion and political movement involving CLs and sympathisers are stifled. This post is not intended to bring about such consequences.

Exposure and ostracism: The nature of the threat:

Unfortunately, a number of hate groups have organised against anyone they see as having an attraction to under-age youth or children, seeking to expose and humiliate these individuals and those who are sympathetic towards them. One such group is Perverted Justice (PJ), who aim to expose the various members of the Child Love (CL) community by infiltrating CL boards, usually pretending to be fellow CLs or even male and female teenagers. Whilst the net effect of such pathological public behaviour is unlikely to favour the hate groups, individuals can and have been harassed and exposed to their local communities because they betrayed sensitive personal details on-line. We can if asked, recall multiple instances in which a GC member has been exposed by PJ because they were careless with their real life (RL) information either on a CL forum, or in off board contact via email or IM with a decoy. The more careful members of our community have always practised critical thinking - setting a high burden of proof on any one individual before resolving to divulge necessary personal details or meet in real life. These communications - when they did happen, remained private and secure and were conducted through handles verified by the individual in question - using other on-line accounts they were known to control.

Vigilantes such as PJ have been at their most dangerous when in combination law enforcement. Whilst organised hate groups and vigilantes may attack regardless of whether you break the law or not, law enforcement officials are in practise meant to uphold the law and nothing else. However, we often find that individuals working in law enforcement see the persecution of child lovers as being in the "spirit of the law", scrutinising even the most above-ground CL website, logging posts and sometimes even working from vigilante intelligence.

It should go without saying, that exposing yourself in RL as a child lover may have serious and life altering consequences. Once this information is public, you have no control over it, and it may haunt you for the rest of your natural life. Even if you are not presently concerned about the spread of information regarding your attractions, it is always useful to consider how such information may be used against you in the future - for example if you are presently a teenager.

Key information and precautions:

• Remember that someone posting on a forum is not necessarily who they say they are. The assumption that anyone who is registered on this forum and possibly others is sympathetic towards us is likely to lead to trouble if acted upon.

• Remember that registration is not required to read this board. Anything you post is very likely to be read by unsympathetic individuals, some of whom are particularly malicious. Be careful what you say and how you say it. Once something is posted on this board, it may be too late to effectively redact (although GC admins can always do this on request).

• Some vigilantes are now attempting to profile GC members over a long period of time, using tiny morsels of information to construct a larger picture. You would be surprised just how much you can let on over a year's regular posting. Consider distracting potential vigilantes by subtly betraying trivial misinformation instead of your own personal info.

• Use a secure and anonymous email account during any off board contact with another poster. This means that you won't reveal your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which can be traced to your rough location, and under special circumstances, used to identify you.

• Remember that personal pages like myspaces or facebooks can be used to compile detailed profiles of CLs if they betray the same email addresses, screen names and details used for sites like GC. This is the number one way Perverted Justice tracks down people, by doing google searches using a posters GC email addresses and other details. If you are careless, your details may lead vigilante profilers to a RL blog or personal web page and you may then be exposed.

• Never publicly or privately reveal your actual location, real name, or other identifying details to someone unless it is a) Necessary information, and b) To an individual who you can trust.

• The longer a person maintains a CL identity and the more deeply and intricately they engage with intellectual and emotional issues of pertinence to CLs, the more likely they are to be genuine. Unreasoned agreement and soundbites, stereotyped personalities and apparent tendencies towards antisocial or criminal behaviour are all possible betrayals of fakery. Also watch out for individuals who seek to disrupt and divide communities, often by making absurd or deliberately contrarian arguments.

• Be wary of those who only use one form of media to construct a CL identity. For example, some decoys may release sensational YouTube videos claiming to be pedophiles or pedophile supporters. Your average vigilante decoy may not have all the time in the world to carry out his or her deed, and may just be looking for the most vulnerable prey.

• Be especially careful with people who claim to be underage. It is a common tactic of trained decoys to make such claims in an attempt to extract information from flattered CLs. Fake teens are likely but not bound to use their age as a necessary "selling point". Before advancing contact with a purported minor, it is advisable to verify their age by some means (although this is no guarantee of credibility). If you do decide to meet a minor who you deem to be trustworthy, consider peripheral factors (surveillance by parents, etc) and be sure of any laws concerning meeting or travelling to meet minors in all relevant jurisdictions. Travelling to meet a minor who is seeking sexual outlet, even if not expressly for this purpose is very likely to land you in a legal trap.

• Be careful when exchanging material - including e.mail attachments with someone off board. Even if totally legal, such material could contain trojans, viruses or spyware. Run a simple, free program such as spybot over your files.

• Never admit to any illegal or potentially illegal activities to any person online.

• Finally, please remember that given the information, vigilantes like PJ will call your home, family and friends and job. They have in some cases spread fliers exposing child lovers to their local communities as "child rape advocates", simply because they post on a child love forum.

For a more detailed, technical analysis of expert security issues see the Guide on Newgon.

Don't be scared, but don't be stupid. Surf safe.