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Saudi Arabia to Host Child Protection in Cyberspace Global Summit on October 2-3

Saudi Arabia to Host Child Protection in Cyberspace Global Summit on October 2-3
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Saudi Arabia to Host Child Protection in Cyberspace Global Summit on October 2-3

Saudi Arabia to Host Child Protection in Cyberspace Global Summit on October 2-3

Saudi Arabia will host the Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Global Summit on October 2-3, as part of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), which will take place in Riyadh under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The summit, organized by the GCF Foundation and the National Cybersecurity Authority in collaboration with the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNICEF, the DQ Institute, and the WeProtect Global Alliance, aims to establish international cooperation to create a safe and empowering cyberspace for children worldwide.

It will bring together key global decision-makers, government representatives, international organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the summit represents a significant opportunity to coordinate global efforts to maximize the benefits of technology in children's lives while protecting them from its risks. She emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to make cyberspace a safe environment for children to learn and socialize.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin highlighted that protecting children online is a shared responsibility and more urgent than ever, especially as children spend increasing amounts of time on the Internet. She noted that the summit will bring together leaders and decision-makers across sectors to ensure that children thrive in a secure digital environment.

National Cybersecurity Authority Governor Eng. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Mazyed stressed that the summit will unite key stakeholders, including international and non-profit organizations and the private sector. The summit will focus on topics and initiatives aimed at enhancing efforts to protect children in cyberspace, particularly in light of their growing use of modern technologies.

Founder of the DQ Institute Dr. Yuhyun Park emphasized the need for coordinated collaboration among stakeholders to enhance children's safety and well-being online.

Executive Director of the WeProtect Global Alliance Ian Drennan pointed out that the threats faced by children online are a pressing and growing concern, making it crucial to focus on creating a safer digital space for children worldwide.

The GCF Foundation, established under a Royal Order in 2023 as an independent entity, aims to unify global stakeholders' efforts through partnerships, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. It also seeks to foster dialogue among leading cybersecurity experts to support economic and social development worldwide.

This year’s edition of the GCF, held under the theme "Maximizing Joint Action in Cyberspace," will feature sessions discussing five key pillars: bridging cybersecurity disparities, cyberspace behavior, social infrastructure in cyberspace, a thriving cyber economy, and new cyber horizons.

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Social Media Companies Slam Australia's Under-16 ban

Social media companies slam Australia's under-16 ban - AFP
Social media companies slam Australia's under-16 ban - AFP
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Social Media Companies Slam Australia's Under-16 ban

Social media companies slam Australia's under-16 ban - AFP
Social media companies slam Australia's under-16 ban - AFP

Social media giants on Friday hit out at a landmark Australian law banning them from signing up under-16s, describing it as a rush job littered with "many unanswered questions".

The UN children's charity UNICEF Australia warned the law was no "silver bullet" against online harm and could push kids into "covert and unregulated" spaces online.

The legislation, approved by parliament on Thursday, orders social media firms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent young teens from having accounts, AFP reported. It is due to come into effect after a year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the age limit may not be implemented perfectly -- much like existing restrictions on alcohol -- but it was "the right thing to do".

The crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X would lead to "better outcomes and less harm for young Australians", he told reporters.

Platforms have a "social responsibility" to make children's safety a priority, Albanese said.

Social media firms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for "systemic breaches".

TikTok said it was "disappointed" in the law, accusing the government of ignoring mental health, online safety and youth experts who had opposed the ban.

"It's entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist," a TikTok spokesperson said.

Tech companies said that despite the law's perceived shortcomings, they would engage with the government in shaping how it could be implemented in the next 12 months.

The legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced -- prompting concern among experts that it will be largely symbolic.

Members of the public appeared doubtful.

"I don't think it will actually change a lot because I don't see that there's really a strong way to police it," 41-year-old Emily Beall told AFP in Melbourne.

Arthur McCormack, 19, said some things he had seen on social media when he was younger were "sort of traumatic".

"I think it's good that the government is on this ban. But in terms of enforcement, I'm not sure how it will be carried out," he said.

Meta -- owner of Facebook and Instagram -- called for consultation on the rules to ensure a "technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens".

- 'Serious concerns' -

But Meta said it was concerned "about the process, which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people".

A Snapchat spokesperson said the company had raised "serious concerns" about the law and that "many unanswered questions" remained about how it would work.

But the company said it would engage closely with the government to develop an approach balancing "privacy, safety and practicality".

UNICEF Australia policy chief Katie Maskiell said young people need to be protected online but also included in the digital world.

"This ban risks pushing children into increasingly covert and unregulated online spaces as well as preventing them from accessing aspects of the online world essential to their wellbeing," she said.

Leo Puglisi, a 17-year-old online journalist based in Melbourne, was critical of the legislation.

He founded streaming channel 6 News, which provides hourly news bulletins on national and international issues, in 2019 at the age of 11.

- Global attention -

"We've been built up by having 13 to 15-year-olds see 6 News online and then join the team," Puglisi said in a statement.

"We have said that this ban seriously risks restricting creativity from our young people, no matter what passion or future career they want to explore," he added.

One of the biggest issues will be privacy -- what age-verification information is used, how it is collected and by whom.

Social media companies remain adamant that age verification should be the job of app stores, but the government believes tech platforms should be responsible.

Exemptions will likely be granted to some companies, such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for recreation, school work or other reasons.

The legislation will be closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans.

Lawmakers from Spain to Florida have proposed social media bans for young teens, although none of the measures have been implemented yet.

China has restricted access for minors since 2021, with under-14s not allowed to spend more than 40 minutes a day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.