"Voluntary commitments" have so far been taken by Yandex, Mail.ru Group, Kaspersky Lab, MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Rostelecom, Gazprom-Media and National Media Group, but it is expected that other companies will join the alliance in the near future.
The "voluntary commitments" themselves consist of 10 points. Their "red thread" is the idea of the importance of joining efforts for the development and harmonious upbringing of children in the virtual space and the need for a constant dialogue with children to understand their needs in the digital world. Signatories are committed to uphold the law on the self-regulation of social media and protect children from information harmful to their well-being and development. In addition, the companies will create and promote positive and creative content, increase children's digital literacy, and strengthen international cooperation in this area.
Center for Global IT-Cooperation welcomes such socially responsible behavior of the Russian IT industry, supports the creation of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment and is ready to promote international cooperation in the field of child protection on the Internet, including the exchange of experience and best practices with foreign partners.
“Many countries have already specialized government councils and other public institutions to protect children on the Internet, and IT companies are launching self-regulatory initiatives for children's online safety. The appearance of such an Alliance in our country is long overdue. We are confident that this will contribute to the establishment of an international IT dialogue. Child safety in cyberspace is an urgent and positively perceived topic in the world, especially in Europe, therefore the exchange of experience and the establishment of international relations of the Alliance represents a constructive and promising agenda for dialogue,” stated Vadim Glushchenko, Director of the Center, assessing the prospects for international cooperation.
