Press Release:

Online Safety a Question of Education, Awareness & Privacy

Published on: 2020-04-24

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Parents concerned about their children’s safety in cyberspace during lockdown and beyond should focus discussions on education, awareness and privacy.
As concerns around Covid-19 infection mount, minors and their parents are expected to continue spending an inordinate amount of time online during 2020.
It is therefore of paramount importance that responsible adults speak to their children about the risks of being online, are aware of what their children are doing in cyberspace and teach their children not to share personal information with strangers.
SA’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), the non-profit industry body representing the lion’s share of South Africa’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs); is highlighting the Education, Awareness and Privacy message that takes on new meaning in the era of Covid-19.
For many, the Internet has emerged as a virtual life saver that enables the continuation of large parts of our ordinary, pre-pandemic lives. It’s likely that Internet usage will surge during the remainder of 2020 as more South Africans discover the incredible utility of the worldwide web. Increasing numbers of us online for the first time means the Education, Awareness and Privacy online safety mantra becomes even more important.
ISPA invites parents and guardians to peruse its regularly-updated page of online safety resources available here: https://ispa.org.za/safety/.
Anyone concerned about the welfare of minors online as we head deeper into an uncertain year will no doubt find information about reporting online crimes and the ISPA Online Safety Project – amongst other welcome links – especially useful.

Further Information

For further information, please contact the ISPA secretariat on the Contact ISPA page.