Khaberni - The International Cyber Security Forum Foundation launched the "Child Protection in Cyberspace Index", as part of a global initiative launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, aimed at unifying international efforts and raising global awareness of the risks of the digital space on children.
A global tool for protecting digital generations
The new index is the first global tool to measure the level of safety for children in the digital environment, helping countries and organizations to develop policies and preventive programs to protect young people from cyberbullying, extortion, harmful content, fraud, and other growing threats with the expansion of technology use.
Childhood counselor and academic Nadia Fahd Al Saif told "Alarabiya.net" that cyberspace has become an essential part of the life of the Saudi child, necessitating greater awareness of its risks. Reports from the International Institute for Digital Children's Safety (2023) indicate that about 70 percent of children around the world are exposed to one form of electronic risk, while the rate of children’s access to the internet in Saudi Arabia exceeded 90 percent according to reports from UNICEF and the Statistics Authority (2024).
Al Saif added: "Some children suffer from poor social skills or what is known as digital addiction, which makes raising family awareness a national necessity."
Family awareness is the first line of defense
Al Saif sees that the efforts made by the National Cyber Security Authority and the Ministry of Education have contributed to raising the level of digital awareness, however, the gap between the technology generation and the parents' generation still exists. She explains that the "Child Cyber Protection Index" represents a national tool for measuring the level of awareness and identifying priorities for education and protection, noting that it guides policies and designs training programs targeting children, teachers, and parents.
She emphasized the importance of Saudi Arabia's participation in international training programs enhancing digital safety skills, enabling children to use the internet consciously and responsibly, affirming that investing in awareness and education is the guarantee to build a safe and balanced digital generation.
A Saudi initiative with a global human dimension
The specialist in artificial intelligence and cyber security, Essam Al-Qubaisi, described the Saudi initiative as "humanitarian and globally distinguished". He told "Alarabiya.net": "More than 70 percent of children around the world are exposed annually to digital risks, and 3 out of 4 children faced harmful content on the internet. The Saudi initiative came to lead a collective international effort that is the first of its kind."
He explained that the index covers five main axes, including schools in promoting a culture of digital safety at the early stages, parents in empowering guardians with tools for protection and surveillance, infrastructure in developing safe technical systems for children, the private sector in enhancing platforms' responsibility in reducing risks, and national policies through updating legislation and legal frameworks for protection.
He added that the initiative aims to protect 150 million children globally, train 5 million guardians and educators, develop cyber safety skills for more than 16 million beneficiaries in over 50 countries, in addition to supporting helplines for child protection in 30 countries.
