The Federal Government says an online safety tool launched today will be a one-stop shop for young people concerned about Internet safety.
Speaking at Telopea School in Canberra, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy launched a “help” button that will give Internet users immediate access to online safety information.
Senator Conroy says members of the youth advisory group [YAG] believe the tool will be effective for the victims of cyber bullying and Internet crime.
“We’ve been working with a group of kids over the last 12 months who said, ‘We really need a one-stop shop, we really need a way, if we think something happens that’s a little bit suss, we need to be able to go somewhere straight away’,” he said.
Also speaking at the launch was the GadgetGuy’s Peter Blasina who said the Cybersafety Button was a terrific innovation and could be a real safety mechanism for Internet users of any age.
“There are times when not only young people, but everyone using the Internet needs help and advice on how to handle a situation that disturbs them – such as when they are subjected to cyberbullying, or they receive other unwanted contacts, a suspicious email or see content that is upsetting.
The downloadable cybersafety help button is a shortcut to help and advice especially for young people, however, everyone through to seniors using computers will benefit from this initiative. Once downloaded to a computer desktop, help and advice is only a double-click away.”
For more information: Go to the cybersafety help button download page at the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy’s website at www.dbcde.gov.au/helpbutton
