ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima here on Thursday said creating awareness about cyber security was vital in current era of technology.

”Children were facing various challenges on online platforms, adding that children online protection is our collective responsibility,” she said addressing the Youth Safety Summit Pakistan organised by TikTok in partnership with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

She said cyber security issues are becoming more complex in this age of digitalisation.

She said the US Senate had passed Children Online Privacy Protection Act.

She said today over four million youth were linked to online activities. There is dire need of creating awareness regarding the preparation of social media content, she added

The summit aimed to raise awareness about online safety, promote digital literacy, and foster collaboration among stakeholders to protect Pakistani youth online.

This summit served as a key platform to bring together stakeholders working in youth/minor safety, including government representatives, law enforcement partners, educators, parents and children, child protection NGOs, and industry experts.

There were several insightful sessions, including one that highlighted the ‘Digital Hifazat’ initiative, a collaborative effort between TikTok and the PTA to promote online safety and digital literacy among Pakistani youth.

TikTok highlighted commitment to ensuring child safety with a focus on the safety features the platform offers to safeguard young users, including the Family Pairing safety feature, its Community Guidelines, and the Youth Safety Portal—tools designed to empower parents, educators, and young users themselves in creating a safer online environment.

Representatives from PTA, CERT, UNICEF Pakistan and SAHIL joined the panel as subject matter experts offering diverse perspectives on child protection.

Chairman PTA, retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman highlighted the authority’s unwavering commitment to creating a safer online ecosystem.

Emir Gelen, Director Government Relations and Public Policy at TikTok Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia, said: “At TikTok, we are committed to ensuring the online safety and well-being of our users, particularly children and youth.”

She said that the summit marks an important step towards creating a safer online environment in Pakistan.

The summit concluded with the exciting announcement of the #DigitalHifazat Contest winners. The #DigitalHifazat Contest, launched by TikTok and PTA, aimed to promote digital safety awareness among Pakistani youth.

The competition received 11,000 entries and 3 received the winning prizes, recognized for exceptional creativity in promoting digital safety among Pakistani youth.

The winner of the competition was Bilal Shahzad while Ch Danish and Muhammad Usama Kiyani.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024