Source: ITU

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and partners of the Child Online Protection Initiative, released updated Guidelines to strengthen online protection for children on September 5, 2014.

The Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection provide advice on how the ICT industry can help promote safety for children using the Internet or any technologies or devices that can connect to it, as well as guidance on how to enable responsible digital citizenship, learning and civic participation. The updated version provides guidance specifically aimed at companies that develop, provide or make use of information and communication technologies.

The Guidelines call for a comprehensive response to the online risks facing children and partnerships across multiple stakeholder groups, including governments, companies, civil society, parents and educators.

“The revolution in online communications have created tremendous opportunities for young people today, but at the same time they have been exposed to new risks in cyberspace,” said ITU Secretary-General  Hamadoun I. Touré.

“These guidelines, prepared in partnership with the Child Online Protection initiative, respond to substantial advances in technology to assess and respond to children’s needs in the online world.”