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1 September 201519 August 2015
South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has launched an online safety project aimed at educating local users about the safe navigation of the World Wide Web.
The first phase of the initiative has seen ISPA design posters in all 11 official languages that convey online safety messages. The posters are available here: https://2026.ispa.org.za/social-development/poster-project/. The English-language free online safety posters are available for ordering in pre-packed tubes of three posters. Each tube contains one each of ISPA’s ‘Protecting Children’, ‘Safe Money’, and ‘Zombie Botnet’ themed posters. Posters in the other 10 official languages can be freely downloaded.
“By producing material that can be ordered by any person or institution that has an Internet connection, we’re optimistic about educating the maximum number of people as possible,” said Graham Beneke, ISPA chair. ISPA specifically aims to inform schools, universities, employers, Internet cafes and parents about the availability for ordering of its online safety posters.
The ‘Protecting Children in Cyberspace’ poster, for example, contains text that aims to educate, encourage awareness and provides information on privacy for both parents and children.
Queried about South Africans’ access to the web, Mr Beneke explained that South Africa now has almost 25 million Internet users and is number six in the world when it comes to use of the mobile Internet by cellphone users.
ISPA is a non-profit lobbying organisation comprising over 173 Internet Service Provider (ISPs) and affiliate members who together represent the bulk of the South African Internet industry.
The Association has a two-decade history of working to ensure fairness and greater competition in the South African telecommunications landscape, while also looking out for the wellbeing of local Internet consumers.
ISPA, for example, launched its voluntary iCode in May 2013 aimed at making it safer for South Africans to work and play online by encouraging ISPs to educate their customers while directing those whose machines are infected with malware to appropriate online resources.
Last year, the High Court confirmed ISPA’s right to combat South African spammers through its Hall of Shame initiative. ISPA’s consumer protection mandate also found expression during 2014 in the Association’s support of ICASA’s intention to vigorously pursue the objective of more competitive markets.
“ISPA’s online safety project represents another in a long line of modest yet tangible steps towards the ideal of a local web that feels like the kind of place it was meant to become – an environment of safe entertainment, comprehensive learning, enhanced productivity and fulfilling engagement,” concluded Mr Beneke.
A second series of posters covering additional online safety topics, including cyberbullying, cybercrime and dealing with spam are currently being designed for release by ISPA later this year.
