NEW DELHI: Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp said on Friday it was partnering with CyberPeace Foundation to create awareness on cyber safety among students.
WhatsApp said the partnership aims to reach about 15,000 students in five Indian states including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra by the end of this year as part of a pan-India programme.
The company said CyberPeace Foundation will train teachers, parents and students using a co-created curriculum to increase online safety for children in consultation with UNICEF and state police authorities. At the end of these training sessions, the participants will create a ‘CyberPeace Club‘ for creating a ‘repository’ of guidance that other students can refer to for boosting online child safety.
The curriculum that has been developed by WhatsApp and CPF will focus on developmental skills and will provide consultation with education boards, and governments at the state and national level, the company said.
Shivnath Thukral, public policy, WhatsApp India said in addition to providing end-to-end encryption that already protects the messages on WhatsApp every day, the platform continues to work closely with child safety experts, governments and technology companies to help keep people safe. “This partnership underscores the critical need for cyber safety through digital literacy and we are delighted to be a part of this initiative,” he added.
Vineet Kumar, founder and president CyberPeace Foundation said as students spend more time online, they are more vulnerable to cyber threats such as cyberbullying, stumbling across child abuse material, cybercriminals disrupting online classes, the spread of misinformation and privacy issues. “Given the widespread popularity of WhatsApp, we are confident that the initiative will entail in creating sustainable cyber aware school students and bolster the educational system in India against cyberattacks,” he added.
WhatsApp said the partnership is a part of the company’s multi-year campaign on safety focusing on digital literacy and it intends to engage with key organisations like NCPCR, UNICEF and MHRD in an effort to protect and promote child rights.
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