Relevance to Theme: Child safety on the Internet is one of main prerequisite effort to build a healthy digital environment that benefits all. As noted from the discussion of Child Online Protection through Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Workshop at IGF 2015, COP falls into category as one of the most critical issues faced by the world these days.
Children’s use of the Internet and mobile technology is increasing, and for many children worldwide there is no clear distinction between the online and offline world. Access to the Internet presents many opportunities for their education, personal development, self-expression, and interaction with others. Yet, the increasingly complex online environment also presents uncountable risks for their safety. Children are prone to be exposed by inappropriate content, harmful interactions, human trafficking, and gadget addiction.
Every parents have responsibilities to be present for their kids both offline and online. To carry out the tasks, parents are required to have enough awareness and knowledge about digital parenting. On the other side, society also bear the same amount of responsibilities to create a safe digital world for all, especially for kids. These heavy tasks cannot be done without all hands joined, hence the multi-stakeholder approach.
Relevance to Internet Governance: This workshop will discuss the responsibility of the multi-stakeholders, especially parents and society, in protecting children online. Invited experts will share their experiences related to this issue. Expected outcomes would be recommendations on how each multi-multi-stakeholder actors can play their roles in making the Internet safe and child-friendly
