July 2017 Mapping Online Child Safety in Asia-Pacific Acknowledgments This report is the outcome of a three-month research fellowship programme supported by Google. Research for the report, as well as the initial draft, was done by Jee Eun Choi. The report was revised by Noelle Francesca de Guzman and Rajnesh Singh, and was edited by Christine Apikul. Internet Society – APAC Bureau 9 Temasek Boulevard #09-01 Suntec Tower 2 Singapore 038989 Tel: +65 6407 1470 Fax: +65 6407 1501 Email:
[email protected] www.internetsociety.org Follow us on Twitter @ISOCapac Follow us on Scoopt.it! http://www.scoop.it/t/internet-in-asia-pacific internetsociety.org @internetsociety 2 Executive Summary In today’s age, the Internet has become essential for developing and strengthening the capacities of children. But at the same time, use of the Internet can come with some risks for young Internet users. It can create new challenges with regards to their safety and protection - both in the physical and virtual worlds. However, quick-fix interventions that limit children’s online access tend to result in a loss of opportunity for them to take advantage of the benefits of the Internet. There is limited research on child online safety in Asia-Pacific --this report outlines some of the resources that are currently available. It provides an overview of initiatives, focusing on policies that are in place to tackle child online safety in selected economies in the region, and an introduction to the different actors involved in addressing the various risks that children can face online.