Europe and Japan
will work together on a strategy
to make the Internet safer for children and teenagers.
The new strategy was
announced by Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes on Wednesday. On
Thursday, she met with Tatsuo Kawabata, Japanese minister for Internal
affairs and Communications to discuss how the European Union and Japan could collaborate on such plans.
Although the
strategy is for industry self regulation, the digital agenda spokesman said
in an email that the European Commission would intervene if self regulation does not deliver. However "a
regulation-only approach would fail," he said.
Apple, BSkyB,
Dailymotion, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netlog, Nintendo, Nokia, Research
In Motion, Samsung and Vodafone have all signed up to the initiative, which aims to improve
content for children and create a safer online environment.
According to the
Commission, 75 percent of European children, a third of them on mobile
phones, use the Internet.
Currently, different
national approaches across the E.U.'s 27 member states mean that children
have different levels of empowerment
and protection online. With an estimated four in 10 children having
encountered risks such as cyber
bullying, pro-anorexia or self-harm content, giving parents and children
the tools to ensure their protection is a key part of the Commission's
digital agenda.
The strategy also includes
mechanisms to report harmful content and conduct online, transparent default
age-appropriate privacy settings and the use of innovative technical
solutions by police investigating child sexual abuse material online.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Strategy -
a planned series of actions for achieving something
2.
collaborate
- to work together with a person or group in order to achieve something,
especially in science or art
3.
intervene
- to become involved in an argument, fight, or other difficult situation in
order to change what happens
4.
initiative
- an important new plan or process to achieve a particular aim or to solve
a particular problem
5.
empowerment
- to give someone more control over their own life or situation
6.
Cyber
bullying - is the use of the Internet and related technologies to
harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Talk about internet safety for children.
2.
Give examples of cyber bullying.
3.
As parents, how do you safe Internet at home?
4.
Howl old should people start to use the internet?
5.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the
Internet.
