Meri Trustline to help children bring down intimate content, tackle cyberbullying: Meta
NGO Rati Foundation has started a helpline service “Meri Trustline” that will help children to bring down content from social media that they feel is intimate or private, social media giant Meta said on Tuesday. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has provided support to the NGO to launch helpline number 6363176363.
It will offer support to children who are in distress over online safety concerns such as cyberbullying and loss of control over sensitive media including self-generated child sexual abuse material. Children seeking help will be provided technical support through the helpline that will “include assistance in taking down content that the child feels is intimate/private.” It will provide them emotional support in the form of counselling, social support, informational support by providing factual and expert knowledge in the matter of their concern, legal support and referral support to connect victims with organisations across India, including law enforcement agencies, according to the statement.
“Online safety of children is a serious issue, and we are committed to build an environment where children feel safe across our platforms. With the launch of Meri Trustline, we are supporting the Rati Foundation to take a lead in this industry-first initiative that will enable reporting online threats to children across the industry,” Meta vice president and global head of safety Antigone Davis said.
Meri Trustline service is available in both Hindi and English to children and other stakeholders, including caregivers, parents/guardians, teachers, siblings, young-adults, and allies. “India’s youth are rapidly coming online and as per a Kantar report, 60 per cent of all internet users in India will be under 19 by 2025. The Rati Foundation aims to ensure that all young people in India have access to systems of safety as they explore the internet. We are extremely happy to have Meta’s support in Meri Trustline that will ensure greater online safety for children,” RATI Foundation co-founder and director Uma Subramanian said.