République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire
Ministère de la Poste et Des Technologies de l’Information
et de la Communication
Algérie Télécom
Council Working Group on
ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection
Second meeting: 11 June 2010
Report and Comments
06/07/2010
Mme R. BOUHADDA
Algérie Télécom
ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection
I-
Introduction
Since their emergence, the immaterial tools of information and communication are building the most
extraordinary development of technologies in human being history. In some years, the Internet
became a tool of exchange between hundreds of million Internet users in the world who are
connecting from their home or from public places. The children must not be kept out of this amazing
revolution. They must be able to use the Internet and express themselves safely.
In front of these technological evolutions, the protection of the child as a Web user was often
darkened in the profit of commercial interests. The fascination for this «Internet revolution» which
risks to be harmful for these young children and teenagers makes us to become aware of the danger
and set up prevention and protection policies.
It is henceforth a question of integrating into the protection of the child on Internet an education in
the media, and delivering a learning which, without neglecting the advantages of the internet, would
forget nevertheless the risks and particularly those to whom children could be confronted.
The parents feel sometimes deprived in front of Internet in particular when they have not a tool of
protection which constitutes an indispensable but not the unique support of risk prevention on
Internet.
Discovering Internet within families is made in a way enough little organized: although the parents
declare themselves perceptible to the risks of exposure in shocking contents incurred by their
children on the Internet and are so worried by " the risk for the children to go on sites or to meet
inappropriate ", the young people, on the other hand, do not perceive spontaneously the internet as
a place of "dangers" or "risks" and undergo the charm of the network without measuring always the
elements of risks
While the Internet is to become the reference media of the young people in the domestic or school
frame, while the number of users of the Internet always goes growing allowing the young people to
reach the Web mainly from their place of residence or cybercafés in particular and when the Internet
connection of primary, secondary schools and training centers increases; some contents and
manners awaken the anxiety: pornographic or violent images, pornographic spams, doubtful
advertisements making apology of all the crimes, illicit acts and terrorism;
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II-
Situation in Algeria
In Algeria, there are 3 millions of fixed line subscribers who can have direct Internet Access through
the dial up service in addition of 670 000 ADSL broadband subscribers by end of June 2010. There are
also 30 millions of mobile subscribers eligible for a mobile broadband connection. Algeria counts
2135 local departments connected to Internet Broadband (1541 communes + 546 Dairas +48
Wilayas). Thus Algerian people can connect to Internet via 7000 spaces of Internet access (cybercafés
and libraries) and we aim in the frame of the “e-Algerie” ICT strategy to reach 6 million of internet
subscribers by 2013.
The result of the continual increasing of Internet network, more children are connected and often
without protection.
According to a study in Algeria, many children became accustomed to cybercafés when their parents
have no idea what their children are doing on the Net and moreover they encourage them to
frequent cybercafés in summer,
According to the legal and judicial Research center (CRJJ), the number of children victims of cyber
intimidation is growing. They receive nasty messages or were the object of humiliating images on the
Net.
II-1 The Action Plan relating to Child Online Protection
The commitment of the national ICT policy is fundamental in our country. It is about one of the
essential instruments in the implementation of the program of development, which is highly based
on four major guidelines:
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The consolidation of Serene Algeria,
The improvement of the good governance,
The pursuit of the human development,
And The increase of the dynamics of the economic growth
That’s why the child welfare appears in Algeria as a major political objective in particular through the
ratification of Algeria of the international Agreement on the children rights which dedicates the child
as a specific person to protect.
The promulgation of the Law N° 09-04 of August 5th, 2009 which describes particular rules relating to
the prevention against the malpractices connected to information and communication technologies
confirms this vision.
The creation of the cybercriminal fighting and prevention center came to reinforce the current
procedures and in order to face more efficiently the cybercrime, 100 magistrates and 50 cyberinvestigators of the Criminal Investigation Department were trained to fight effectively against the
electronic crime. They received high quality training in the United States, France and Belgium.
In May 2009, the ministry of the Post and ICT have signed with the National Federation of pupils
parents: “La Charte Internet” : Rules and good practices in using Internet,
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At the same date, an agreement has been signed by five ministries:
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National Defense (MDN),
Interior and Local collectivities (MICL),
Education (MEN)
Family and Women issues, (MDCFCF)
Poste and ICT (MPTIC)
In view of the terms of the agreement, an ad hoc committee was created in November 2009 in
charge of elaborating an action plan relating to child online protection
The created group has the following missions:
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to identify the risks and the dangers to which are exposed(explained) the children in
cyberspace
to propose awareness-raising activities and protection
to define the mechanisms of implementation of these actions(shares)
to elaborate a final recommendation report
Inform the children of their vulnerability and the risks in the cyberspace
Incite the parents to be attentive and aware
Propose and develop particular tools to minimize the risks
II-2 Ministerial ad hoc committee recommendation revue
The legislative and statutory texts must be reinforced, completed and supported by a national
mobilization through the institution of a dialogue at every level - government to communities, to
families and to children – in order to promote mentalities and practices which would contribute to
protect the young people.
The committee recommended also to introduce awareness-raising activities towards children,
parents, teachers, educators and cybercafés managers.
It is also very important to associate press to participate actively in awareness rising about children
online protection.
Parents have to strengthen the dialogue on the subject with their children.
Several actions planned
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the supply of a parental control solution
Set up an awareness campaign with participation of Algerian sportsmen (women) or fame
personalities esteemed by the young people.
Coordination and exchange experiences through opened doors, radio and broadcast reports
and as well as press articles.
Create a toll-free number to allow people and particularly children to report abuses or
cybercriminal acts
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Integrate the contents of the Internet Charter (some rules and good manners) as educational
unit in the primary, average and secondary education program.
Encourage the creation of themes in connection with rules of use of the Internet in plays,
tales and Comics intended to children
Special action for Cybercafés
Cybercafés remain the only point of access to Internet for many citizens. So, the
implementation of a charter "quality" for cybercafés will avoid harmful use of the Internet
and possible drift,
«The cybercafé " is invited to adhere to the ICT sector strategy and contributes therefore, at
the local level, to the effort of technological development and digital divide reduction.
In return, we have to support these spaces, to transform them into information and
knowledge access centers, to involve them in a national training program for the benefit of
the citizens in the field of information and communication technologies
II-3 The participation of Algérie Télécom in Child Online Protection
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Since 2007, Algeria Telecom has launched a national operation of Cyberspace with children
dedicated spaces,
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In April 2009, the ADSL internet connection modems were delivered with an integrated
parental control solution
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In May, 2009: elaboration and publication of the Internet charter
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In May, 2010 a Partnership was settled between Algérie Télécom and a private enterprise
UNIDEES Algeria in order to jointly launch an awareness campaign relating the secure use of
the Internet by children1
The internet is a new space of sociability: it is carrying big hopes, in terms of access to the
knowledge, emancipation and democracy. It is also a place where some activities or practices are
susceptible to threaten young people. The objective of these recommendations is not to underline
the importance of the risks in order to present the network as a new threat for the children. The
recommendations join the fundamental development objectives by building the internet civility .
This will is confirmed once more by the MPTIC, through signed agreements with some ministerial
departments like youth and the sports as well as the national solidarity. Those agreements intend to
accelerate the appropriation of the ICT tools by all the citizens, in particular the young people, by the
development of the existing public spaces.
1
http://www.algerietelecom.dz/
http://www.djaweb.dz/securite_internet.html
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ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection
These points of access will facilitate the reduction of digital divide, elimination of illiteracy and will
guarantee, for the young children and the teenagers, the equality to access training an safe
connection..
The use of ICT is a right for everyone. Let us avoid making it a tool of depravity of our youth.
III-
Comments and recommendations :
DRAFT
Outcome of the Second Meeting of the Council Working Group
on Child Online Protection
1- Comments on the Draft Child Online Protection Statistical Framework and Indicators
It will be highly convenient to elaborate a common questionnaire for a Child Online Protection
Statistical study which contains all sector members
The study would be led individually in every country
A consolidation can be made at CWG-CP Work level under the supervision of the ITU secretary
The results of this study could be presented during the next meeting of the CWG-CP
A program unit could be proposed with the participation of “Action Innocence”
2-Comments on the Draft report on “Social Networking Services and Policies with regard to
Created Content”
User-
The self-regulation in relation to ownership of user-created content should not exclude the creation
of a complaints procedure in case of abuses.
3- Comments on the draft report on “The Source of Online Threats to Youth and Children”
Incite governments to integrate the orientations relating to healthy use of the Internet in courses of
study of the public educational program. The program would underline the Source of Online Threats
to Youth and Children and explain the prevention tools.
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