Vulnerable households and children’s homes will have access to free internet filters after Epic and the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society today signed a milestone agreement to protect youngsters from online abuse.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Epic’s chief marketing officer Karl Galea and Foundation chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, outlines a comprehensive framework to address child online safety issues in Malta.
The agreement establishes a commitment between the two sides to implement robust training and development initiatives aimed at equipping Epic’s staff with essential knowledge and skills in child online protection. It also explores support measures for community training, including the potential provision of office space for such activities. It also mandates collaborative efforts to engage in extensive public awareness campaigns on child internet safety and provides free internet filtering to vulnerable households and children’s homes, with the Foundation identifying those in need.
Ms Coleiro Preca said: “The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society strives to create a safer digital environment for our children. This agreement underscores our unwavering commitment to child online protection and the immense responsibility we bear in equipping our communities with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the digital world safely.”
This agreement following on the shocking figures from last year’s report on the online abuse children faced on a regular basis. The survey, commissioned by the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society as part of its Promote Online Protection Project — P.O.P-Up — was conducted by Misco International between May and June 2023 among 387 children in Years 3 to 11 across Malta’s schools. This survey, the first of its kind, revealed that almost a third of all students aged seven to 15 years received rude or inappropriate messages over their devices, while 15 per cent of children experienced some form of online abuse.
Ms Coleiro Preca said the digital world was growing at a rapid pace and it was exemplary of Epic to join its campaign to prevent the worrying situations youngsters were facing. She called on all Internet service providers to also share this responsibility and play a crucial role in ensuring online safety for all users.
Epic CEO Pierre Etienne Cizeron said: ”As Malta’s leading mobile network, we are committed to educating our customers, especially parents and their kids, about online safety. This commitment is even more relevant as more customers on our network switch their home internet to Epic. We can provide expert advice and guidance to empower parents to make the internet a better place for kids, ensuring a safer online environment for children and enhancing community well-being.”
This partnership between Epic Malta and The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society represents a proactive and unified approach to safeguarding children in the digital age.
