Ch||d Cn||ne rotect|on

lnLroducLlon
A decade ago approxlmaLely 7 mllllon people accessed Lhe lnLerneL ln lndla and
almosL all of Lhem llved ln Lhe cosmopollLan cenLers 8emarkably by early 2010 Lhere were
over 100 mllllon lnLerneL users ln lndla wlLh over 103 mllllon of Lhose havlng access Lo
broadband 1oday whlle noL ublqulLous lnLerneL users are Lruly naLlonwlde 1he lnLerneL
conLlnues Lo be a dynamlc and lncredlble resource wlLh almosL unllmlLed capablllLles Lo address
socleLal problems from lmproved access Lo healLhcare Lo remoLe learnlng opporLunlLles Lo e
governmenL Lo lnnovaLlve and hlgher paylng [obs Powever Lhe growlng global lssues
surroundlng onllne cyber securlLy requlre a naLlonwlde and a global response especlally when
lL comes Lo Lhe proLecLlon of our youngesL and mosL vulnerable dlglLal clLlzens our chlldren

2 Accordlng Lo a recenL global survey over 60 per cenL of chlldren and young people Lalk
ln chaL rooms on a dally basls 1hree ouL of four chlldren onllne are wllllng Lo share personal
lnformaLlon abouL Lhemselves and Lhelr famlly ln exchange for goods and servlces and as many
as one ln flve chlldren could be LargeLed by a predaLor each year Conslderlng Lhe growlng
lnLerneL peneLraLlon amongsL Lhe younger generaLlon and Lhe exLanL of vulnerablllLy puLLlng ln
place a naLlonwlde mechanlsm for 'chlld onllne proLecLlon' ls lmperaLlve

Chlld Cnllne 1hreaLs and 8lsks

3 Whlle adulLs and chlldren allke are exposed Lo a range of rlsks and dangers onllne
chlldren and young people are ofLen parLlcularly vulnerable Chlldren are sLlll ln a process of
developlng and learnlng 1hls has consequences for Lhelr capaclLy Lo ldenLlfy assess and
manage poLenLlal rlsks 1here are a number of lssues ln relaLlon Lo chlldren's and young
people's use of Lhe lnLerneL whlch are of ongolng concern Lo parenLs and chlldren allke as well
as Lo governmenLs pollLlclans and Lhe pollcy maklng communlLy 1hese concerns can be
summarlzed as follows

a ConLenL
l Lxposlng chlldren Lo lllegal conLenL eg CAM ( chlld abuslve maLerlal) or chlld
lnapproprlaLe conLenL llke vlolenL lmagery

b ConLacL

l 1he lnLerneL's ablllLy Lo expose chlldren and young people Lo sexual predaLors be
Lhey adulLs or oLher legal mlnors
ll Lxposlng chlldren Lo harmful onllne communlLles such as slLes encouraglng self
harm as well as espouslng vlolence haLe and pollLlcal exLremlsm

c ConducL

l laclllLaLlng and promoLlng rlsky sexual lnLeracLlons beLween chlldren
Lhemselves
ll Lncouraglng chlldren Lo personal lnformaLlon place ln Lhe publlc domaln
lll Lxposlng chlldren and young people Lo bullylng

d Commerce

l Lncouraglng chlldren Lo acqulre oLherwlse lnaccesslble/ lllegal subsLance
ll 1he lnLerneL's ablllLy Lo expose chlldren and young people Lo scams ldenLlLy
LhefL and fraud

e Lxcesslve use

l LncouragemenL Lo excesslve use of lnLerneL leadlng Lo an obsesslve behavlor and
lnLerneL addlcLlon

f SocleLal

l CreaLlng a dlglLal dlvlde amongsL dlglLal haves and havenoLs
ll 1he poLenLlal of Lhe lnLerneL Lo compound and even magnlfy Lhe exlsLlng
vulnerablllLles of parLlcular chlldren and add Lo exlsLlng adverslLles


Addresslng Lhe 8lsks

4 ln developlng a naLlonal sLraLegy Lo promoLe onllne safeLy for chlldren and young
people naLlonal governmenL and Lhe pollcy maklng lnsLlLuLlons need Lo ldenLlfy and engage
wlLh Lhe key sLakeholders

|gure 1 key Stakeho|ders

3 Cnce Lhe key sLake holders has been recognlsed Lhe followlng seL of acLlvlLles are
recommended for Lhe onllne proLecLlon of chlldren

Chlldren
Soclal
Servlces
Law
LnforcemenL
8esearch
CommunlLles
/ nCCs
arenLs /
Cuardlans/Ld
ucaLors
a Comprehens|ve |ega| framework lL wlll generally be necessary for Lhere Lo be ln
place a body of laws whlch makes lL clear LhaL any and every crlme LhaL can be
commlLLed agalnsL a chlld ln Lhe real world can also be commlLLed on Lhe lnLerneL or on
any oLher elecLronlc neLwork

lL may also be necessary Lo develop new laws or adapL exlsLlng ones Lo ouLlaw cerLaln
Lypes of behavlor whlch can only Lake place on Lhe lnLerneL for example Lhe remoLe
enLlcemenL of chlldren Lo perform or waLch sexual acLs or groomlng" chlldren Lo meeL
ln Lhe real world for a sexual purpose

u||c Awareness and Lducat|ona| Act|v|t|es arenLs guardlans and Leachers
have a cruclal role Lo play ln helplng Lo keep chlldren safer onllne LducaLlon and
ouLreach programs need Lo be developed Lo creaLe awareness of Lhe lssues 1he
followlng musL be kepL ln mlnd for Lhe effecLlveness of an ouLreach program

l lnvolvemenL of all sLakeholders across Lhe language and reglonal
specLrum
ll SeLLlng up of naLlonwlde counsellng faclllLles
lll use of new and emerglng medla and medla plaLforms

c keport|ng Mechan|sms lL ls recommended Lo seL up and provlde wlde publlclLy
Lo a naLlonal hoLllne Llnks Lo reporL abuslve or dlsLurblng maLerlal musL be promlnenLly
dlsplayed on relevanL parLs of all webslLes regardless of Lhelr naLure or conLenL

d @ra|n|ng of |aw enforcement agenc|es Law enforcemenL agencles musL be
adequaLely senslLlsed regardlng Lhe chlld onllne LhreaLs 1here should also be provlslons
for a greaLer commlLmenL of resources ln order Lo enforce 'chlld onllne proLecLlon'
speclflc laws and for Lralnlng for [udlclal prosecuLorlal and law enforcemenL offlclals
who wlll lnvarlably be challenged Lo keep up wlLh Lhe use of Lechnology by offenders

e Se|f kegu|at|on Norms A seL of self regulaLlng norms for lSs and LSs also need
Lo be developed lollowlng may lnclude Lhe brlef ouLllne of Lhese norms

l MandaLory provlslonlng as a package of chlld safeLy and fllLer programs by
lSs/LSs or 'operaLlng sysLem manufacLurers
ll MandaLory supporL of credlL card / banklng lndusLry ln reporLlng of CAM
lll MandaLory reporLlng by lSs

Lngaglng WlLh l1u on CC

6 'lnLernaLlonal 1elecom unlon' (l1u) launched lLs CC lnlLlaLlve ln november 2008 as a
mulLlsLakeholder efforL almed aL brlnglng LogeLher parLners from all secLors of global
communlLy Lo ensure a safe and secure onllne experlence for chlldren Slnce Lhen l1u has been
ln Lhe forefronL of acLlvlLles concernlng CC Conslderlng Lhe global naLure of Lhe problem ln lLs
lmpacLs and lmpllcaLlons a global efforL ln addlLlon Lo a naLlonwlde framework Lo address CC
lssues ls lmperaLlve lollowlng may be suggesLed as a formaL for engagemenL wlLh l1u on CC

| know|edge Shar|ng l1u councll worklng group on CC open Lo all member sLaLes ls an
efflclenL medlum for exchanglng vlews promoLlng and worklng on Lhe sub[ecL maLLer and
for reporLlng Lo Lhe Councll annually on Lhe acLlvlLles of Lhe group A number of workshops
evenLs sLraLeglc dlalogues and forums have been organlzed by l1u ln cooperaLlon wlLh
CC parLners and oLhers Lo ralse awareness of Lhe urgency Lo Lake acLlon on chlld onllne
proLecLlon l1u worklng group ls also an effecLlve forum Lo volce lssues relaLlng Lo
lnLernaLlonal cooperaLlon ln CC and revlew Lhe progress made ln oLher counLrles
regardlng CC

|| CoCperat|on |n Creat|ng Standards for CC ln a laLesL developmenL Lhe l1us
1elecommunlcaLlon SLandardlzaLlon Advlsory Croup (1SAC) has asked Lhe l1us securlLy
sLandardlzaLlon sLudy group Lo lnvesLlgaLe chlld proLecLlon ln Lhe onllne world 1he group
wlll look aL Lhe posslblllLy of developlng lnLeroperable sLandards Lo proLecL chlldren onllne
1he alm would be Lo develop a wldely shared approach LhaL could be promoLed across Lhe
whole lndusLry Co operaLlon ln Lhls area can help puL ln place naLlonwlde Lechnlcal and
procedural measures Lo deal wlLh CC relaLed lssues

||| eve|op|ng Stat|st|ca| framework for to measure CC |n|t|at|ves arLlclpaLlng ln CC
surveys conducLed by l1u can help lndla ln undersLandlng Lhe exLanL of onllne LhreaL Lo
chlldren ln lndla CC survey can also be an lmporLanL Lool Lo monlLor and lmplemenL
speclflc CC relaLed pollcles and lnlLlaLlves