make-IT-safe main page
 End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
Children’s Charities Coalition for Internet Safety
www.make-IT-safe.net

 

Sample letter to Government agencies & politicians please adapt as required

Dear __________________

I am/we are writing to urge [your party/the Ministry/the Government] to take action to ensure children and young people are safe and protected online and in new information technologies.

We all know that the internet and other interactive communications technologies can be hugely beneficial to children and young people for their educational development, and as a source of enjoyment.

However, we also know the use of these technologies can expose children and young people to serious risks. These risks include:

• An explosion in the production and distribution of child pornography online.
• Resulting sexual abuse of children to make pornography circulated online.
• Sexual predators using chat rooms and messaging to contact and ‘groom’ children for sexual abuse, often with tragic consequences.
• Children being encouraged to post online personal details, photos and videos of themselves and others, or to send them via email or mobile phones to strangers.
• Exposing children and young people to abusive and damaging materials online, whether legal or illegal.

Children and young people are especially at risk as leading users of all kinds of online and interactive media – internet, chat rooms, news groups, web cams, mobile phones, and online and offline gaming. Some governments, law enforcement agencies and IT companies are acting to protect children online. But it’s not enough and it’s time for that to change.

The make-IT-safe campaign is calling on the IT industry and governments around the world to act now to ensure children and young people enjoy the benefits of new information technologies without risk of harm. I/we urge you to support this campaign by taking the following steps:

• Adopt policies to ensure that the IT industry makes its products and services safe for children and young people
• Ensure regional and international co-operation of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to stop the exploitation and abuse of children online and through new technologies
• Ensure proper care and protection for children and young people abused or exploited online, or exposed to damaging images and materials
• Work with the IT industry, community and child rights groups on an education and awareness campaign, with materials also in local languages and more traditional forms such as leaflets and booklets.

I/we also urge you to support making children and young people safe online by signing the make-IT-safe petition at www.make-IT-safe.net and encouraging others to do the same.

I/we look forward to your response to the issues raised in this letter. Your reply and details of any actions will be forwarded to the make-IT-safe campaign which is monitoring and publicising responses. For more information about the issues raised in this letter or the make-IT-safe campaign, please contact me/us or info@make-IT-safe.net


Yours ____________________