The partnership intends to engage with key organisations like NCPCR, UNICEF and MHRD as part of efforts to protect and promote child rights.

WhatsApp on Friday announced a strategic partnership with CyberPeace Foundation with the aim to create awareness on cyber safety among students. The facebook-owned messaging platform noted in a press release that “this is an effort to build on their earlier partnership with WhatsApp under the “e-Raksha” program that reached thousands of students.”

With the collaboration, the platforms aim to reach nearly 15,000 students across five states including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra by the end of 2020.

Commenting on the partnership, Vineet Kumar, Founder and President CyberPeace Foundation said, “We are excited to partner with WhatsApp to increase the cyber safety quotient of students across India. Increasingly as students spend more time online they are more vulnerable to cyber threats such as cyberbullying, stumbling across child abuse material, cybercriminals disrupting online classes, the spread of misinformation, privacy issues and more. Given the widespread popularity of WhatsApp, we are confident that the initiative will entail in creating sustainable cyber aware school students and bolster the educational system in India against cyberattacks.”

The CyberPeace Foundation is said to train teachers, parents and students and provide them with tips to increase online safety for children in consultation with UNICEF and state police authorities. The release noted that at the end of the training “the participants will create a “CyberPeace Club” to ensure that this knowledge is further institutionalized and manage a repository of guidance that other students can refer to for boosting online child safety.”

The curriculum has been created by WhatsApp and CPF together. “The will focus on developmental skills and offer consultations with education boards, and governments at the state and national level,” the messaging platform noted.

The partnership also said to engage with organisations like NCPCR, UNICEF and MHRD as part of efforts to protect and promote child rights.

“WhatsApp stays committed to the safety and privacy of our users. In addition to providing end-to-end encryption that already protects the messages on WhatsApp every day, we continue to work closely with child safety experts, governments and technology companies to help keep people safe. This partnership underscores the critical need for cyber safety through digital literacy and we are delighted to be a part of this initiative.” said Shivnath Thukral, Public Policy, WhatsApp India.

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