The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® Convened Experts and Policymakers to Discuss Child Online Mobile Safety
CHICAGO, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan, The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® convened child safety advocates, policymakers and industry experts today to discuss local and national initiatives to help ensure Illinois' children are using their wireless devices in a responsible manner and are prepared for the increasingly high-tech and mobile future. As part of the national "Be Smart. Be Fair. Be Safe: Responsible Wireless Use" campaign (www.besmartwireless.com), today's informative half-day educational session focused on informing the audience about the industry's activities to educate adults and teens about responsible wireless use and the latest in research and studies about children's behavior and online mobile safety.
Attendees at today's event heard from Illinois Attorney General Madigan, who spoke about her office's cyber safety initiative; U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Online Safety and Technology Working Group Co-Chair Anne Collier, who provided an overview on the recently issued report that evaluated the technology industry's efforts and made recommendations to promote online safety for children; Assistant Professor and Pohs Fellow of Telecommunications, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan Scott Campbell, who discussed the results of a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project report on Teen Mobile Usage which studied teen and family use of cell phones, smartphones and other mobile services; and The Wireless Foundation President and CTIA-The Wireless Association President and CEO Steve Largent, who discussed the many online safety tools and educational initiatives that the wireless industry currently provides.
"We need to do everything we can to educate children and parents on how to use technology safely and avoid online dangers," said Attorney General Lisa Madigan. "I would like to thank CTIA and The Wireless Foundation for their partnership in getting the word out on how to help youth be smart and safe with technology. I look forward to our continuing work together."
"The wireless industry believes it has a responsibility to educate parents and kids on the numerous tools and information that it offers to help create a safe online wireless environment. As consumers, especially teens, continue to rely on the mobile Internet, it's important we work together with policymakers, child safety experts, educators and parents to empower families with the tools they need to help their kids make the right choices when using wireless devices and services. Today's event was a perfect example of the dialogue that is critical to keeping kids safe in the mobile online world," said Steve Largent, president of The Wireless Foundation and president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.
CTIA and the wireless industry have taken a number of steps, including its "Be Smart. Be Fair. Be Safe: Responsible Wireless Use" campaign, to address wireless safety issues. Launched in March 2010, the "Be Smart" website (www.besmartwireless.com) serves as a valuable resource for parents, educators, policymakers and students. For example, the site offers a listing of the parental control features and filters that are offered by the association's members and an example of family rules; educators are provided two lesson plans for 6th-12th grade students; and policymakers can learn about some of the initiatives the association and the industry support or have developed as well as suggestions on what they can do to help foster the digital future. The website also provides easy-to-understand information on how kids can be responsible wireless users whether it's with their devices and services, regarding the environment or when they're driving or a passenger. In addition, CTIA and the wireless sector have adopted industry-wide content guidelines and best practices, offered parental control tools and content rating systems and provided educational information for children and parents.
The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association® in 1991. The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society.
CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC.
SOURCE CTIA The Wireless Association
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