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Facebook said it supports Safer Internet Day 2019 with a campaign spanning more than 15 African countries, joining hands with more than 20 non-profit organisations and government agencies

The campaign aims to raise awareness about Internet security and security concerns, such as cyberbullying and cybercrime.

The social network company will support the Safer Internet Day by sponsoring the printing of online safety awareness booklets, facilitating training sessions and creating a family-friendly animation to raise awareness of the Facebook Safety Centre.

Sherry Dzinoreva, public policy programs lead at Facebook Africa, commented, “We know that safety is a shared conversation, which is why we are excited to be working with so many stakeholders around the continent to make the Internet a better place. Together, with Safer Internet Day as a platform, we can address emerging online concerns, so that people and especially children and the youth, can get the most from their Internet experience.”

The campaign covers most of sub-Saharan Africa, including Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Facebook’s highlights for the Safer Internet Day week include:

South Africa

The company is partnering with the Film and Publication Board (FPB), Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), Google, Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) to launch the 2019 Web Rangers Programme. It supports this effort with educational content. Facebook’s Emilar Gandhi will participate in panel sessions to discuss how it strives to keep its community safe.

Kenya

It supports Watoto Watch's Safer Internet Day event for Ngunyumu Primary School students in Nairobi. The event is the launch pad for the ‘A Million Campaign’, which aims to raise awareness of online safety among schoolchildren. The company will provide ad credits and safety booklets for the event.

Nigeria

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria will run workshops on safer Internet use as part of its LIFE programme in Kano, Lagos and Aba. For this initiative, Facebook’s Safe Online trainers will run two-hour workshops at both PIN’s LIFE centres and at schools in Kano and Lagos.

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