Rwanda has developed a policy aimed at protecting kids from internet hazards and harms as the growth of ICT brings both advantages and future hazards to kids.
The Rwanda Child Online Protection Policy came into force in July 2019, according to the Ministry of ICT and Innovation of Rwanda, in reaction to the hazards of minors being exposed to inappropriate internet material such as indecent pictures, adult pornography, violence, human trafficking hazards and unwanted sexual advances.
Rwanda is one of the continent’s fast-growing ICT nations and the Central African nation has adopted ICT growth across all industries, Rwandan ICT Minister Paula Ingabire lately informed journalists after the policy came into effect.
According to the ICT ministry, Internet penetration in Rwanda presently stands at over 52.1 percent from 7 percent in 2011, and telephone penetration has increased to over 80.6 percent from 33 percent in 2010.
The fast development of internet and telephone penetration inevitably entails particular hazards for kids associated with cyber bullying, online sexual exploitation, child trafficking, radicalization, blackmail, and sexting, Ingabire said, adding that there are mild incidents of online risk to kids that were previously identified and investigated.
According to the policy brief, as they extend their internet services to Rwanda, companies are needed to demonstrate processes and unique considerations conducted to guarantee child safety and regard for the freedoms of children.
It also needs service providers to set up processes for identifying and reporting upset or inappropriate content through transparent and robust surveillance systems for all internet services.
Under the policy, authorities would set up high-level data protection with particular regulations for world-class reporting and takedown processes for kids.
The takedown procedures shall apply to Internet service providers, communications service suppliers, entertainment and media industries as well as intentional efforts to perform internet surveillance to detect content that is detrimental to kids.
It would be legally blocked to access host pages that fail to discover notified damaging or risk content.
Rajat Madhok, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Rwanda, said the internet strategy to safeguard children is “timely.”
The protection policy offers advice on the generation of proof as well as preventive and reaction systems, he informed journalist, stating that in Rwanda the risk of kids being exposed to inappropriate internet material is genuine.
According to UNICEF, over 45% of Rwanda’s population is under 18.
Such an internet policy intended to safeguard them is a welcome gesture as technology has become a strong instrument for influencing children’s conduct, said Jeannette Ishimwe, a parent of a primary six child.
Digital environment’s evolving nature needs particular intervention to safeguard kids, a Rwandan Internet provider’s sector specialist spoke on condition of anonymity.
The policy brief estimated that it would cost more than 1.5 billion Rwandan francs (about 1.7 million U.S. dollars) over 5 years to enforce the policy.
According to the minister, the government would create law enforcement agencies ‘ ability in internet child protection problems such as understanding offending behaviors.