By Kenny Chee

LIKE it or not, no number of online pseudonyms nor privacy controls can grant you true anonymity in the vast public space that is the Internet. And you can bet that what you say online can and will be used against you if the situation calls for it.

The Sunday arrest of three teenagers, aged 17 to 18, over racially insensitive remarks on Facebook demonstrates just that very fact.

The arrest came on the back of a report lodged by a netizen last Saturday. While investigations are underway, this we know for sure: The concept of online privacy is dubious, and that everyone is ethically responsible for what they do and say.

Netizens can create social- networking groups on an invitation-only basis, restrict access to their blogs, or join a forum under a nickname. But that doesn't mean messages posted can't be traced, as the police have shown.

There's nothing stopping someone who has access to an online message from easily capturing a screen grab of a webpage or taking a digital photograph of it, and then forwarding it to other people.

And we aren't even talking about what hackers can do yet, nor the prospect of Internet service providers giving details of a person's online activity to the authorities.

This latest case also brings to light the callous attitude many young Singaporeans have when expressing themselves online.

Apparently, the three youths had posted what were racial jokes, but which quickly unravelled to become racist.

Such is the quick-fire danger of Internet postings, yet concepts of action and consequence in cyberspace appear to still elude many.

Back in 2005, three young men were charged under the Sedition Act for making inflammatory remarks about Muslims and Malays online. Two got jail sentences, and one was put on probation.

Yet, in 2006, another young man nearly got himself into trouble under the same Act for putting up offensive cartoons of Jesus Christ on his blog. He received a police warning.

Now, we have three more youths who are none the wiser.

Lawyer Bryan Tan, a director at Keystone Law Corporation, said the ease with which people can instantly publish their views on the Internet, as compared to doing so through traditional media, can contribute to the undertone of racism and allow defamatory views to surface.

As a result, worrisome defamatory cases linked to social networking sites have started to appear.

So, kudos to the authorities for not taking these cases lightly. In the long term, more can be done to help the young understand the importance of Internet ethics.

Schools are already teaching students how to use the Internet responsibly.

And, while I applaud netizens who help to moderate online platforms and remain voices of reason, the ultimate solution lies in family upbringing.

Through my interaction with social workers, it's evident that parents play a vital role in inculcating their children with the right values, starting from a very young age.

So parents, familiarise yourself with your kids' Internet activity ? before it's too late.

kennyc@sph.com.sg

For more my paper stories click here.