Our participation in safety and security initiatives in October

By
Friday, 13 November 2015

October was a very busy month in the arenas of user safety and security, and we were pleased to join with several expert groups for programs that promote a safe and secure online environment.

We kicked off National Cyber Security Awareness month (NCSAM) by joining a luncheon at the National Cyber Security Alliance. Together with a variety of industry leaders, we discussed the growing ecosystem known as the Internet of Things and its security challenges.

Also in October, our partner Bystander Revolution launched the #MonthofAction initiative to mark National Bullying Prevention Month. The campaign aims to inspire people by breaking down one of the biggest barriers to change: knowing what to do when bullying occurs. We held a joint Twitter Safety Q&A to foster conversation around being responsible digital citizens.

In addition to a number of other outstanding initiatives happening around the world, #ActToChange — a campaign addressing bullying developed by The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — went live. Get involved by taking the #ActToChange pledge, and be sure to check out their suggestions for resources, empowerment videos, and music playlists.

Stay Smart Online Week was Australia’s contribution to the global movement for online safety. We worked with Australia’s Department of Communications and the Children’s eSafety Commissioner to raise awareness about how to be secure when using Twitter. In addition, our director for Australia and Southeast Asia, Julie Inman-Grant, hosted #PositionofStrength safety workshops for hundreds of women in Canberra and Melbourne, as well as Promoting Tolerance & Diversity on Twitter workshops to community groups and NGOs.

Bullying prevention initiatives are important, but they won’t succeed without all of us becoming involved. Recently, we hosted a Q&A with the Diana Awards Anti-Bullying Campaign to​ combat cyberbullying​, featuring popular YouTuber Marcus Butler (@MarcusButler) who offered advice to young people about how to deal with bullying and cyberbullying when going back to school. We also recently partnered with STOMP Out Bullying (@STOMPOutBullyng) — a nonprofit based in New York — and the New York Jets (@nyjets) to create STOMP Out Bullying Educators’ Prevention Toolkits. Other programs we’ve contributed to include the NO BULL Challenge, an initiative that uses the power of social media and filmmaking to combat bullying, and Vodafone’s #BeStrong campaign.

As November rolls around, we’re looking forward to working on safety initiatives as part of Media Literacy Week.