Telenor (India) Communications, a wholly owned company of Norway-based Telenor Group, has been advocating for a safe online environment for children. The company has launched a free parental guide book ‘WebWise – A Parental Guide ‘ on safe internet practices.
Telenor recently organized Safe Internet Forum 2016 in Hyderabad calling on teachers, parents, government, cyber security experts, NGOs and private partners for responsible use of internet and strengthen the defenses for a safer internet experience for children.
Speaking at the forum, CEO of Telenor India Communications Sharad Mehrotra said the company focuses on protecting and providing a safe internet experience for children through education and guidance
“While we extend the benefits of being connected and empower our customers with affordable services, we also encourage responsible use of Internet,” said Mehrotra.
“Our webwise program aims to build defenses amongst children by guiding them on how to be safe online. In addition to this, we have integrated 1098 Child Helpline on our SIMs for easy access. These are small steps towards developing a safe online universe for our young users.”
At the Safe Internet Forum, Telenor announced initiatives to make Internet safe for millions children in India who are expected to come online by 2017. The company also partnered with Child Helpline. Going forward all Telenor SIMs will have 1098 number embedded, which would give direct access to the helpline. Any user can seek help on anything related to child rights and abuse.
Telenor Group’s Director for Sustainability and Head of Social Responsibility, Ola Jo Tandre said the group globally adheres to strict guidelines towards safety of its customers online.
“I feel proud to see the efforts that Telenor India has put forward in creating awareness on internet safety and security and also in protecting children online. This is a key step towards Telenor group’s vision of empowering societies through digital services,” he added.
According to the Webwise survey conducted by Telenor in 2015, about 95% of 3200 children surveyed in the age group of 9 to 17 are accessing the internet from a range of devices.
The sample was taken from across 10 cities of eight different states. The survey also revealed that 62.4% of children are spending up to 4 hours a day on the internet.