Child Friendly Internet Policy in Bangladesh

Alpana Chowdhury

Identification

The national child policy 2011 in Bangladesh emphasis on the need for secure, developmental welfare needs of the children and is clearly written.

Education and socio-welfare activities of children between the age of 6-8 years has been clearly laid out by the govt. in the national child policy 2011 where clear priority has been laid for using digital technology in imparting education to children and has been clearly  written in the comprehensive early childhood policy. In general child friendly media program has been given top most priority for the children education and socio-welfare program.

Despite the growing popularity of internet and its use all over the world and in Bangladesh we are yet to set in a child friendly internet policy. The greatest problem Bangladesh faces in the highest rate of population per sq kilometer leading to high rate of poverty, malnutrition, lack of basic health care and education. In one of the independent survey it was found that on 10% of the countries children between the age of 6-8 years have to access to internet facilities of which 95% of the children are in urban areas. Effective use of internet facilities especially in the children sector needs rules and guideline laid out by the Govt. must be followed strictly or else the benefits of internet will go to waste.   

Making a Better Internet for Children 

Today children in Europe start using the Internet on overage when they are 7 years old. One in those go online via mobile phone, game consoles or other mobile services. At the same time, many young children say there are not enough good things for kids their age to do online. Children need quality content online to stimulate their imagination and help them learn. They need the skills and tools for using the Internet safely and responsibly.

Commitment and obligations

The internet is a wonderful place for children to learn and have fun, but there are also dangers and it is important that children are safe while online, when children use the schools internet connection these are several safeguards in place to ensure that in appropriate material is not allowed through, so that the children can enjoy using the Internet safely. Since Bangladesh does not have a Internet policy it will have to set standard in line with International children television charter 1995 and the children Internet Protection Act (CIPA) enacted in December 21, 2000.

Internet in Bangladesh compare to the world    

The impact of internet has emerged as an issue in Bangladesh. Since the policy to go digital is on a high in Bangladesh internet has taken centre stage. Everyday growing number of internet user are emerging in this country. From business to social networking videos, cinema internet is these day the key access to information and technology in the country. As mentioned Bangladesh must adhere it self to CIPA policies otherwise the nation will have face very sever consequences.

Existing Policies and gap      

In Bangladesh there are no such policies that directly handle with the issue of children internet use. A group a polices that exists indirectly support issues in the media sector especially Television, there are the national children policy 1994, the children act 1974, Bangladesh shisu  Academy ordinances 1976, the Indecent advertisements prohibitions Act 1963, cable Television Network operation Act 2006. These policies, plans and regulation are not alleviation the problem because the concept of internet use and that too being child friendly relatively new to Bangladesh.

Policy Options

The following are the policy options to address the problem and issues relation to child friendly internet use.

1. To stimulate the production of creative and educational online content for children by the media.

2. To scale up awareness raising and teaching of online safety in all schools in the country to be done by NGO’s and private organization.

3. Creating a safe environment for children where parents and children are given the tools for ensuring their protection online to be conducted by the Govt.

4. Combating child sexual abuse material online and use of innovative technical solution by police investigations.

5. Setting up of National Child Friendly Internet Authority (NCIA) to address the children’s internet issues comprehensively through a children Internet Act.

Policy option-1

Pros :

• Educational program suitable for young children will increase.

• Cost effective for the govt. to implement.

• Capacity will build up for producing online quality program.  

• Children’s viewing on quality program will increase.

Cons:

• Difficult to define quality program

• Scope to quantify the quality of program without standards.

• Lack of understanding between producers and viewers about educational program and visual literacy.

Policy option-2

Pros :

·         Quality of children program online will increase.

·         Easy to assess program to monitor the implementation.  

·         Drive of the producers to meet standard will create positive competition.

·         Age specific needs of children will be addressed because of safety online.

·         Cost effective and easy to implement from government side.

 

Cons:

• Difficult to measure the scale of awareness.

• Children internet program viewing may decline due to failure to meet standards.

• No way to see the impact on children online interact use.

Policy option-3

Pros :

  

• Children viewing to quality program will be ensured.

• Better participation of parents and students and society as a whole.

• Available tools makes it easier to implement quality viewing for children.

• Awareness and responsibility of both the parent and govt. increases.

Cons:

·         Not cost effective for govt.

·         Time required by parents to judge the positive and negative program viewing by the children.

·         Misuse of tools can take place and their replacement uncertain.

·         Does not ensure proper monitoring.

 

Policy option-4

Pros :

• Ensure children to view appropriate subject.

• Ensure child sexual abuse is negated by the law enforcing agencies.

• Producers online are careful

Cons:

• Not cost effective as technology changes rapidly.

• The implementation of law questionable as corruption may take place.

• Operational cost is high to implement and train people to track down promoters of ‘obscene material’  

Policy option-5

Pros :

• Comprehensive approach to address diversified effect of internet viewing children.

• Independent authority to work with private and public sector including educational and internet agencies as well as researchers.

• Continuous effort considering the new issues and evidence with support of technical and professional persons.

• Stong monitoring mechanism.

• Promotion child friendly education program as well as protecting children from harmful program.

• Scope to use interact as an educational tool.

Cons:

• Expensive effort needs manpower and administrative support from govt.

• No study research exists in Bangladesh.

• Difficult to advocate as general awareness on impact of internet on children is low.

• Difficult to ensure viewer’s participation.   

• Difficult to mobilize fund and manage fund properly.

• Political will of govt. questionable.

• Strong control of market by international internet producers.

Criteria to analyze the options:

To choose the policy and analyze the options with pros and cons including the likelihood of successful outcomes some specific criteria was set. It is difficult to assess the needs of child friendly internet policy in Bangladesh due to huge diversity in socio economic structure even of the five policy option the National Children Internet Authority is the final policy to be establish by the govt.

National children Internet Authority (NCIA) will work on the following.

·         Formulate law and update law in course of time.

·         Formulate and recommend plans and polices for govt.

·         To promote high quality program for children internet viewing.

·         To set program standard and rating for internet using school.

·         To imitate the conduct of study and research and to promote internet education.

·         To monitor the implementation of the act and other related policies and lows.

·         To arrange training of teacher for operating internet at school.

·         To develop guidelines for treating children through television.

·         To publish report, research papers awareness raise materials.

·         To take legislative measure and action of penalty for any anti law initiative.

·         To encourage quality program for children viewing through declaring award and incentive.

·         To raise fund for children friendly internet viewing from private and public sectors.

Decision makers to approve the policy    

In the approval process of the final policy decisions makers from Ministry of information, Ministry of science and Information and Technology, Ministry of women and children Affairs, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of law, Ministry of planning Cabinet Division,  Ministry of youth and Sports and members of Parliament will be involved.

Support for the policy can come from parents, teachers, educators, media, researchers, newspaper, radio, TV, mobile phone company, NGO, civil society whom we call the stake holder to this policy.

Challenges  

Finally the challenges to make the policy happen are implementation is expensive in nature and need infrastructure and administrative support form the Govt. Maintaining coordination with all stakeholders and govt. will also be challenge. But today the importance of internet in the life of Bangladesh cannot be ignored internet in the life of Bangladesh  cannot be ignored interest use is increasing manifold  daily and at the same time a child friendly Internet Policy  in a populous country as Bangladesh is imperative.     

References

 

ü  Risks and safety on the internet, www.eukidsonline.net

ü  Bakardjieva, M (2005) Conceptualizing user agency. In internet society; the Internet in Everyday Life. London, Sage.

ü  Livingstons S(2010)’e- Youth, (Future) Policy Implications Risk, harm and vulnerability online, ‘keynote at e-Youth; balancing between opportunities and risks, University of Antwerp, May 2010, help://eprinls.lse.ac.uk/27849/

ü  Jenkins, it (2006) An occasional paper on Digital Media and learning Chicago; The John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation.

ü  Finkethor, D(2008) childhood victimization, oxford; Oxford University press.

ü  Hansson, S.O (2010) Risk; objective or subjective, facts or values, Journal of Risk Research.

ü  Internet Safety Policy, Broom hill Junior School

ü  Communication for a strategy for a Better Internet for children, May 2012, European Commission.

ü  E-Tate Central, Internet Safety Policies and CIPA: AN E-Rate primer for schools and Libraries.

ü  Children’s Internet Protection Act http://www.ifea.net/cipa.html

ü  Fec regulation implanting CIPA:FEC01-120 http://fiallfoss.fec.govt/edocs-public/attachmatch/fec-01-120al.pdf.

ü  Resources from the American Library Association (ALA) http://www.ala.org/issuesadvocay/advocay/federalllegislation/cipa/cipa/index.cfm

NTIA study of Technology Protection Measures http:// www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/cipareport08142003.pdf.