GLOBAL AND NATIONAL TRACKER FOR CHILD ONLINE SAFETY ANNOUNCED

Global Cybersecurity Forum and DQ Institute Agreed to Launch the Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Index in 2025

SINGAPORE, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The unveiling of the Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Index at the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) marks a groundbreaking milestone in the global effort to safeguard children online, announced by the Global Cybersecurity Forum Institute and the DQ Institute. This announcement took place during the Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Summit at the GCF Annual Meeting on October 2-3, 2024, co-organized by the Global Cybersecurity Forum Institute, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNICEF, WeProtect Global Alliance, and the DQ Institute. The CPC initiative, instated by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, underscores a global commitment to promoting the digital well-being of children worldwide.

Dr. Yuhyun Park, Founder of the DQ Institute, emphasized that the launch of the CPC Index represents the first tangible action following last week's 2024 UN General Assembly agreement on the Pact for the Future backed by the Global Digital Compact, which highlighted the importance of child protection in cyberspace.

"The CPC Index will serve as an important tracking and monitoring tool to measure the global progress of the CPC commitment towards creating safer digital spaces for children, in alignment with the 2024 UNGA global agreement," said Dr. Park during an interview at the forum. "This tool is designed to empower countries by offering a comprehensive insight on their current status in child online safety and helping them design targeted national strategies and actions to enhance their national CPC Index performance."

As a flagship program of the CPC initiative, the CPC Index offers a comprehensive 360-degree framework to evaluate and enhance efforts to ensure child safety online, engaging all stakeholders, including governments, ICT industries, schools, families, and children at the national level.

Backed by seven years of research and data from 100 countries, the CPC Index offers a global tool to assess ecosystems, foster cooperation, and help nations mitigate cyber-risks to protect children online worldwide.

Key features of the CPC Index include:

• Global Benchmarks and Data Insights: Combines international benchmarks to provide a clear roadmap for tracking cyber-risks and assessing children's digital citizenship levels.
• Holistic Analysis: Covers government policies and regulations, school education, family involvement, and tech industry accountability.
• Top Digital Citizenship Programs: Highlights the world's top digital citizenship programs, offering actionable recommendations for policy and education leaders.

Dr. Park underscored the initiative's global scope, calling it a testament to collaboration across public and private sectors. The CPC Index aggregates international standards and measures, offering nations a roadmap to advance from current challenges to a safer digital future.

"Globally, over 70 percent of children have encountered at least one cyber-risk," said Dr. Park, referencing the DQ Institute's Child Online Safety Index. "With the rise of artificial intelligence, this number could shift dramatically as new risks, like AI-generated deepfakes and fake news, emerge."

While acknowledging AI's potential to address certain risks, Dr. Park warned of its capacity to exacerbate challenges, emphasizing the urgency for proactive measures: "The goal is clear: to reduce the 70 percent figure by at least 15% by 2030."

The CPC Index, Dr. Park emphasized, is a critical step toward protecting children in an increasingly AI-powered world. "Real change happens through implementation, and the CPC Index is poised to guide nations in ensuring the digital safety of the next generation."

"An important step is a mandatory digital citizenship education in primary schools, which is a tipping point for long-term online safety for children," she added, urging governments to prioritize early digital literacy education.

About DQ Institute:

The DQ Institute (DQI) is an international think-tank dedicated to setting global standards for digital intelligence and ensuring the safety, empowerment, and well-being of individuals, organizations, and nations in the digital age. DQ framework is recognized as the global standard for digital literacy, skills, and readiness (IEEE 3527.1-2020). DQI operates as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States and as a not-for-profit organization in Singapore. For more information, visit DQ Institute's website: https://www.dqinstitute.org 

Media Contact:
Eris Seah
DQ Institute
partnership@dqinstitute.org
+65 9396 9200

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