Albert Antwi-Boasiako
Stakeholders have been urged to ensure the safety of children in the use of the internet against the backdrop of the potential risk it could pose to them and society in their attempt to explore opportunities it presents to them.
Speaking at a child online protection forum for children to mark “Africa Safer Internet Day” in Accra, the Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Albert Antwi-Boasiako, said although the internet has significantly transformed the lives of human race than any other time in history, it could endanger the lives of children if stakeholders fail to guide them to use these digital tools at their disposal properly.
He said “in the course of one generation, the internet has transformed our lives and that of the world in which we live. We now have more knowledge and facts than at any other time in human history. What is available to us as adults on the internet whether good or bad, is also at our children’s disposal.
“Online safety is a shared responsibility among a variety of stakeholders, including service providers, parents, caregivers, government, law enforcement, educators, civil society organisations, as well as children themselves. All sectors have distinct roles to play and together, we can make the internet a safe environment,” he said.
Africa Safer Internet Day was instituted in 2019 among countries in the sub-region to strategise on ways of empowering children in the digital environment where schools, CSOs, service providers, lawmakers, media and relevant stakeholders help promote safer internet for children across the world.
Mr. Antwi Boasiako also suggested that to help address the challenges and harm that the internet poses to children, it was important for the country to invest in young people to develop their critical thinking skills to enable them to effectively evaluate online risk and opportunities.
According to the Director-General, various efforts have been made by government since 2018 aimed at strengthening the legal and policy regime to address online and child sexual abuse and its associated challenges such as cyber bullying, impersonation, exposure to hate, identity theft among others.
A representative of UNICEF, Madam Joyce Odame, who lauded the effort of the CSA for engaging children and young people on child protection, said her outfit was collaborating with the CSA to initiate the development of legislative instrument to outline detailed processes and procedures for the implementation of the child online protection related provisions in the Cyber Security Act, 2020.
The 2023 Africa Safer Internet Day themed “Empowering the African Child on Safer Internet” brought together representatives of the Ghana Education Service, CSOs, some state actors and students from the Dzorwulu Special School, Accra High School, and St. Dominic Basic School in Tema.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah