Facebook partners with 9 African organisations for Safer Internet

Facebook is partnering with nine non-profit organisations and government agencies throughout sub-Saharan Africa to raise awareness about Internet safety and security for Safer Internet Day, celebrated on 11 February with the theme “Together for a better Internet”.

The partners Facebook is working with this year include:

• Digify Africa, South Africa
• Phambano Technology Development Centre NPC, South Africa
• Diana Schwarz Attorneys, South Africa
• Watoto Watch Network, Kenya
• Paradigm Initiative, Nigeria
• Child Online Africa, Ghana
• Youth First Madagascar, Madagascar
• Computing and Information Association, Tanzania
• Asikana Network, Zambia

“We’re committed to ensuring Facebook and Instagram are places for everyone, especially the youth,” says Jocelyne Muhutu-Rémy: Strategic Media Partnerships Manager for Facebook in sub-Saharan Africa.

“That’s why we offer a range of tools on our platforms to give people full control over their experience and work with our partners to drive awareness about the practices, resources and tools people can use to protect their online wellbeing.”

Young people can benefit from the following Facebook and Instagram safety tools and resources:

• New tools on Instagram that filter comments that may be inappropriate, offensive or bullying – including keyword filtering, sensitivity screens, offensive comment and bullying filters.
• On Instagram, there are new ways to help stop bullying before it happens. If someone writes a comment or caption for a feed post that is detected as potentially offensive, they will receive a prompt that the language used is similar to language that has been reported for bullying. They will then have an opportunity to edit the caption or comment before posting.
• The Instagram Safety Centre is a place where you can learn more about the safety features on Instagram.
• The Youth Portal, which is a central place for teens to get a better understanding of Facebook’s products, hear from other peers, and get tips and advice on controlling their experience. This is part of the safety centre, a resource for topics like suicide prevention, social resolution and bullying prevention.
• Use of artificial intelligence to help identify when someone might be expressing thoughts of suicide, including on Facebook Live and Instagram Live.

“Digital platforms have opened up wonderful new avenues for learning, working and playing. Focusing on Internet Safety in partnership with Facebook is our contribution to helping the youth to freely and safely enjoy the advantages of online connectivity.” Diana Schwarz, Founder of Diana Schwarz Attorneys, Social Media Lawyer and Child’s Rights Activist.