February 13, 2014

Commenced in 2004, Safer Internet Day is a yearly ITU event that is now celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide. This year’s 11th Safer Internet Day was celebrated worldwide on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 under the theme "Let's create a better internet together" to promote safer and more responsible use of the Internet, especially amongst children and young people across the world. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Lebanon has been involved in this event since 2009 and led various activities related to consumer –and especially children- online protection.

This year’s event was celebrated in Lebanon under the Patronage of HE Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abou Faour, at Beit El Tabib on February 11, where children from various private and public schools were gathered. The event has witnessed the distribution of awards to students who won in the yearly national school competition. This year’s competition encouraged children to develop various awareness-raising material (games, posters, videos, stories, and many other products) relating to children’s safety over the internet. The submitted projects were evaluated by a committee facilitated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the Higher Council for Childhood (affiliated to the Ministry of Social Affairs) and other representatives from international and local NGOs as well as many actors from the private sector (Makhzoumi, Himaya, Al Mahdi Scouts and Guides, Tekram, World Vision).

During the week of the event, a national awareness campaign will include LED screen advertisements around Greater Beirut Area, constant updating of the Safer Internet Day Lebanon Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SaferInternetDayLebanon), Facebook Ads, Tweeting and Hashtaging, an SMS campaign through Touch and Alfa with the support of the Ministry of Telecommunications, and mass emails with awareness messages to Internet Service Providers and Mobile Managers.

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