UNICEF, Facebook launch campaign to promote safe internet for children

Nobody can think of life without the internet now. But not everything available on the internet is true or safe for children.

Senior Reporterbdnews24.com
Published : 30 March 2018, 10:51 AM
Updated : 30 March 2018, 10:54 AM

Thousands of children came to know this inconvenient truth at an event co-organised by UNICEF and Facebook in Dhaka on Friday.  

In chorus, the children with State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said: “I will use safe internet. I will remain careful about the use of internet.”

The year-long campaign launched by UNICEF and Facebook is to promote online safety for children and intends to help guide more effective policymaking and more responsible business practices to benefit children.

Citing a study, AM Sakil Faizullah, communication manger of UNICEF Bangladesh, said one in every five internet users is below 18 years old.

Among 11,821 participants of the event, 81.2 percent said they use the social media every day and 90 percent said they use the mobile internet.

And 5.1 percent of the respondents confessed that they post personal pictures on the social media without taking their parents’ permission. The study found that 3.3 percent of children believe it is not very important to take parental permission for posting pictures.

Around 13 percent said they faced harassment on the social media and 13.6 percent said they do not think that sharing personal information or pictures with unknown persons is not harmful.

And 52 percent of the respondents said they have no objection, if anyone sends a friend request.

Speaking at the function, Palak said: “Everything we see on the internet is not true. That should be kept in mind.”

More than 10,000 students from more than 100 schools, teachers, parents, key policymakers, industry leaders, top 50 internet products from ICT industry, and two million online visitors participated in the event.