TikTok, PTA host Youth Safety Summit to promote online safety and digital literacy

WNAM REPORT:  Pakistan November 21, 2024: TikTok, in partnership with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), hosted the Youth Safety Summit Pakistan on Thursday in Islamabad. The summit aimed to raise awareness about online safety, promote digital literacy, and foster collaboration among stakeholders to protect Pakistani youth online.
This summit served as a key platform to bring together stakeholders working in youth/minor safety, including government representatives, law enforcement partners, educators, parents and children, child protection NGOs, and industry experts.
There were several insightful sessions, including one that highlighted the ‘Digital Hifazat’ initiative, a collaborative effort between TikTok and the PTA to promote online safety and digital literacy among Pakistani youth. PTA also delivered a presentation on its ongoing efforts to ensure child online protection, emphasizing initiatives aimed at creating a safer digital environment for young users.
Another session highlighted TikTok’s commitment to ensuring child safety with a focus on the safety features the platform offers to safeguard young users, including the Family Pairing safety feature, its Community Guidelines, and the Youth Safety Portal—tools designed to empower parents, educators, and young users themselves in creating a safer online environment.
A panel discussion on ‘Enhancing Child Online Safety’ was hosted reflecting TikTok’s commitment to creating a safe environment for young users. Representatives from PTA, CERT, UNICEF Pakistan and SAHIL joined the panel as subject matter experts offering diverse perspectives on child protection. This was followed by a Q&A session and addresses by notable dignitaries.
Commenting on the summit, Chairman PTA, Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman, highlighted the authority’s unwavering commitment to creating a safer online ecosystem. He remarked, “This summit marks a significant step in our mission to secure a safe and inclusive digital environment for Pakistan’s youth. PTA remains steadfast in its efforts to implement innovative measures that protect children online and promote a digitally responsible society.”
Emir Gelen, Director Government Relations and Public Policy at TikTok Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia, said, “At TikTok, we are committed to ensuring the online safety and well-being of our users, particularly children and youth. We believe that this summit marks an important step towards creating a safer online environment in Pakistan. We’re dedicated to promoting digital literacy and online safety through our initiatives, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the PTA to achieve this goal.”
The summit concluded with the exciting announcement of the #DigitalHifazat Contest winners. The #DigitalHifazat Contest, launched by TikTok and PTA, aimed to promote digital safety awareness among Pakistani youth. The contest invited creators to produce short videos highlighting six key areas: responsible social media usage, combating online harassment, preventing online fraud, ensuring youth safety and well-being, understanding TikTok’s safety tools and addressing misinformation.
The competition received 11,000 entries and 3 received the winning prizes, recognized for exceptional creativity in promoting digital safety among Pakistani youth. The winner of the competition was Bilal Shahzad while Ch Danish and Muhammad Usama Kiyani were first and second runners up respectively.
Building on the success of the Youth Safety Summit Pakistan, TikTok and PTA also announced the expansion of their Public Policy Program, focusing on Digital Hifazat. This strategic expansion strengthens TikTok’s collaboration with the PTA to enhance digital literacy and safety nationwide.