Disney EMEA is marking Safer Internet Day on February 6th, 2024, as an official supporter of Childnet’s mission to ensure children, as well as parents and carers, can explore the digital world safely.
This year’s theme is ‘Inspiring change: Making a difference, managing influence and navigating change online’ and will focus on young people’s perspectives on and attitudes towards new and emerging technology, and the changes they want to see online. Safer Internet Day 2024 is also exploring the external factors that have an impact on the way young people think, feel and act, both online and offline.
Disney is committed to promoting safety within our digital platforms, giving parents and caregivers the tools to effectively manage their family’s engagement with our content. Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+, provides a set of parental control options, including the ability to establish individual viewer profiles with corresponding rating settings. Within Disney+ we also offer a “Junior Mode” experience, which is the space for our youngest audiences to engage with positive content that has been purposefully curated for them.
Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy for The Walt Disney Company, Ellen Blackler, said: “The digital world is constantly evolving, which is why it’s so important to support Safer Internet Day’s mission to ensure it can be explored safely. At Disney, we’re committed to creating positive, safe, inclusive online experiences across our digital platforms. This includes the robust parental controls in place on Disney+, which allow families to enjoy our content safely and choose the experience that is right for them.”
The Walt Disney Company maintains a digital wellness grant portfolio, which provides funding to NGOs working on pressing digital issues that affect the safety, health and success of children across the globe. funding educational programs, peer-to-peer trainings, youth advisory councils, film competitions on online safety, educator training, development of resources, workshops and activities to promote mindful digital use and online safety, as well as reporting portals, chatlines and hotlines to assist children in crisis.
Disney has supported Childnet International since 2014, and is also a sponsor of the Childnet Film Competition. Open to all young people (aged 7-18) based in the UK, the competition challenges young creatives to create a short film about internet safety. The competition for 2024 is currently accepting submissions.
As well as working with Childnet, last year Disney supported organizations across EMEA which promote safety online for children, parents and teachers including:
- Friends in Sweden, whose “Ask Us! Youth Online Safety” programme works to establish youth-led recommendations for online safety.
- The European Association for Viewers Interests (EAVI) in Belgium, and their “Digital Wellbeing Campaign” to promote mindful digital usage.
- Empowering Children Foundation in Poland, which educates parents and young people on responsible use of technology.
- The Emirates Safer Internet Society’s Digital Wellness Programme in the UAE.
- Paradigm Initiative, which equips young people in Nigeria with digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills, and connects them with internship opportunities.