TikTok and Youth Policy Forum (YPF) held their fifth and final series of online workshops on safe internet use on June 7-10.

A total of 100 participants joined this workshop from across the country and beyond to gain valuable insights into online safety, reads a press release.

The four-month campaign titled “Safe Internet, Safe You” aimed to empower individuals from different parts of Bangladesh, especially new internet users, to access the internet in a safer way and enlighten them on the various security features built into the app.

Meanwhile, workshops on digital literacy and safe internet use were held in collaboration with GDN SUST – Graduate Development Network, and IUT Career and Business Society – IUT CBS.

Through various engaging quizzes and short sessions in both workshops, participants learned about digital literacy, safe internet access and access to justice or cooperation in the digital space. Participants were asked to complete a pre-evaluation and post-evaluation questionnaire to obtain an analysis of the situation.

Participants were also introduced to the general concepts of cyberbullying, phishing, online financial scams, etc. They were also briefed on how to deal with the effects and instances of cyberbullying or online harassment.

Pradyut Pal, Youth Policy Forum Grassroots Network Manager, presented a guideline on internet security. The guidelines include advice and instructions such as how passwords should be complex and how PINs or passwords should not be shared with anyone, not even in games or challenges.

Pradyut Pal also gave a detailed overview of TikTok’s Safer Internet for All policies to inform users of its user-friendly guidelines.

The presentation highlighted the holistic approach TikTok takes when formulating community policies and guidelines, including law, social values, culture, and how the platform engages with regulatory panels, expert panels and various NGOs, including how the platform enforces its community guidelines through actions such as removing content and disabling malicious accounts.

The presentation covered topics such as Violent Extremism, Violent and Graphic Content, Safety of Minors, Illegal Activities and Uncontrolled Things, Suicide, Self Harm and Dangerous Activities, Adult Nudity and Sexual Offenses, hateful behavior, integrity and authenticity.

He also shed light on how TikTok encourages positive interactions by promoting kindness and respect online as well as the platform’s user-friendly settings and features such as comment control, time management, blocking and reporting, direct monitoring of messages, etc.

The workshops aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of content creation and digital literacy to attendees, as evidenced by the positive feedback received from attendees. Participants admitted that they were unaware of these aspects of TikTok’s settings and community guidelines.

Participants admitted to previously being unaware of many aspects of TikTok’s settings.

They were also grateful to have learned about steps they can take to prevent bullying and other forms of harassment. They mentioned that such workshops will allow them to use TikTok safely.

These sessions ended with the online slogan of safe internet access as everyone collectively exclaimed as they turned on their cameras: “Safe Ami Digitally”.