Page 116 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

ITU Launch 2020 Guidelines on Child Online Protection (COP) with Key

Recommendations to Keep Children Safe Online

The International Telecommunication joining the online world for the first time, industry stakeholders including private-
Union (ITU) launched new 2020 to support their studies and maintain sector platforms, service providers and
Guidelines on Child Online Protection social interaction. Due to the pandemic, network operators, to governments and
(COP), a comprehensive set of concrete many younger children began interacting civil society. Accordingly, in developing
recommendations for children, parents online much earlier than their parents these new guidelines, ITU and its partners
and educators, industry and policy-makers might have planned. At the same time, sought to create a highly usable, flexible
on how to contribute to the development of the need to juggle work commitments left and adaptable framework firmly based
a safe and empowering online environment many parents unable to supervise their on international standards and shared
for children and young people. The COP children, leaving them at risk of accessing goals – particularly the Convention on the
Guidelines serve as a blueprint that can inappropriate content or being targeted Rights of the Child and the UN Sustainable
be adapted to national or local customs by criminals in the production of child Development Goals. The Guidelines also
and laws. The new guidelines were re- sexual abuse material. With this context aim at supporting children and their
designed from the ground up to reflect the in mind, it is clear that more than at any entourage by informing and engaging
significant shifts in the digital landscape time before, keeping children safe online children, raising awareness on interned
in which children find themselves, such requires a collaborative and coordinated safety related issues, and supporting the
as the Internet of Things, connected toys, international response, demanding the development of digital skills and digital
online gaming, robotics, machine learning active involvement and support of a literacy.
and artificial intelligence. In addition, broad number of stakeholders – from
this new edition addresses an important
lacuna: the situation faced by children
with disabilities, for whom the online
world offers a particularly crucial lifeline
to full and fulfilling social participation.
Consideration of the special needs of
migrant children and other vulnerable
groups has also been included. Today
one in three children use the Internet. In
developing countries, children and young
people are leading Internet usage, and it
is estimated that over the next five years,
this population will more than double. In
addition, the COVID-19 global pandemic
saw a surge in the number of children

Celcom Ready to Roll Out 5G Upon Securing Suitable Spectrum

Malaysian mobile operator Celcom to accommodate the next generation still have some other areas to work on of
is reportedly prepared to deploy 5G of mobile broadband technology, while course, but we will be ready to roll out the
technology commercially, pending the stating it would be ‘just a matter of months’ service soon after we get the green light
allocation of suitable frequencies. The before its 5G service could be made from [the Malaysian Communications and
Edge Markets reports Celcom’s chief available to consumers once it has suitable Multimedia Commission]. Of course, other
executive Idham Nawawi as saying that frequencies. ‘We have upgraded our core factors in the process such as ordering
his company has – among other things network to be ready so we just need to and delivery of equipment have to take into
– already upgraded its core network add the capacity of the core network … We account,’ he said.

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