Secure cyberspace for children

Recently, more and more information appears in the press and in society, and more and more discussions are being launched on cyber-space risks for young IT users. Even if these advanced technologies become essential tools for children's education, they also bring new risks and threats to the psychological and physical integrity of young generations, especially for children who become victims of some people and even groups of criminals. In this context, I believe that there is a strong need for ensuring cyber space security and establishing a framework for inter-institutional and interdepartmental cooperation in preventing and responding adequately to these new types of threats.

 

Based on the analysis of national situations of the level of child protection in different countries we can compare with, it will be useful to learn that up to about 1 to 6 British children are online at the age of 3 or younger, 25% use the Internet before starting school, and six out of ten children surveyed said they were concerned about the aggressiveness of cyberspace, while 16% said that aggression in cyberspace caused them more concern than aggression in real life.

 

At the same time, the ability to develop the real potential of information and communication technologies, I think, is in the hands of children and young people, being an excellent tool for the development of children, giving them new opportunities to learn, create and participate in solving problems. We all know the enormous benefits that information technology brings to the development of children and young people, but they also face new risks, sometimes quite significant ones. Children may encounter inadequate contacts while browsing the Internet, which may affect their reputation, they may suffer from the publication of confidential personal information on the Internet, and this may leave a lasting imprint on their future life. At the same time, children may be involved in risky or inappropriate behavior, which will create negative consequences for them and, possibly, for others as well.

 

There are specialists from law enforcement, educational and community organizations who, without doubt, take measures to monitor the situation in the sphere of cybersecurity threats, and also take appropriate measures to raise awareness of state bodies and institutions in this regard, providing advice and appropriate information support to overcome possible cyber attacks, as well as a number of practical recommendations on information security. Thus, in order to confront new challenges that are becoming more and more difficult to prevent, it is necessary to intensify our efforts to develop quick and coordinated responses. The goal of this collaboration is to provide confidence in cyberspace, which is impossible to achieve if we work alone.

 

This engages partners from all sectors, including private companies and financial institutions, in a dialogue on child safety on the Internet and creating online experience for children around the world. It is very important that in an increasingly interconnected world with no boundaries, these efforts are consistent with the common goal of a safer and more secure cyberspace.

 

To reduce the risks of the digital revolution by allowing more children and young people to take advantage of it, the government, civil society, and the private sector need to set some common goals. Public-private partnerships are needed to develop coordinated national responses to children's problems on the Internet and to exchange information between different institutions.

 

At the same time, to participate in digital citizenship, it is necessary to develop creative and innovative programs and applications for children and parents. We need to stimulate the development of educational and creative online content for children, as well as promote the positive experience of children on the Internet. Technical measures may be an important element in ensuring that young people are protected from potential online risks, but this is just one element of the equation. Parental controls, awareness and education are also key components that will empower and inform children of different age groups, as well as parents, educators and mentors.

 

In this regard, partners can actively support the rights of children by collaborating to eliminate digital differences. Children's participation requires digital literacy, the ability to understand and participate in the digital world. Without this opportunity, citizens will not be able to participate in many social functions that have been “digitized”, including, among other things, filling out tax forms, supporting political candidates, signing petitions on the Internet, or simply accessing some commercial, medical, educational or cultural information. Therefore, it is imperative that programs supporting multimedia initiatives are developed in order to provide children, especially from rural or underdeveloped areas, with the digital skills they need to become confident, interconnected and actively involved citizens participating fully, safely, in a digital world. It is important to develop programs of cooperation between the public and private sectors to expand access to information and communication technologies, platforms and devices, as well as to the appropriate infrastructure for their work.

 

These data show that even if information and communication technology is an excellent tool for children development, giving them the opportunity to learn, at the same time, despite the advantages, children may be involved in risky or inappropriate behavior that creates negative consequences for them and perhaps others.

 

To reduce the risks of the digital revolution and enable more children and young people to only benefit from these technologies, as well as to use Internet services and other technologies more safely, we offer the following actions:

 

- Organize a national awareness campaign and build public-private partnerships to develop a coordinated national response to child abuse on the Internet, ensure the exchange and use of information between various law enforcement agencies;

- Improving the digital literacy of children, developing the ability to understand and participate in the digital world. Without this skill, children will be at risk more and more. It is therefore essential to provide children with the digital skills they need to be confident, interconnected and protected from potential online risks;

- Creation and application of relevant best legal practices in accordance with international standards.