Today the Australian Government launched a Cyber Safety ‘Help Button’ which parents can install on their computers allowing users to request assistance when viewing inappropriate content or experiencing cyber bullying.
The button is free and can be downloaded from a Government website. The button is a small Adobe Air application that can sit in the system tray or on the desktop. When clicked the button offers 3 choices:
- Speak to a councillor;
- Report inappropriate content to the authorities;
- Learn more about Cyber Safety.
“The internet offers our young people many exciting opportunities but there are also some dangers and the Help Button will provide valuable information for students, teachers and parents,” Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator, Stephen Conroy, said in a statement this morning.
“Once it’s been downloaded all people have to do is click on it and choose whether they want to talk, report or learn about cyber safety issues.”
Ivanhoe Grammar School is currently testing the button to see if it can be installed onto School Notebook Program computers as part of deployment.
Additional information on how to report inappropriate content or cyber bullying can be found on iCyberSafe.com.
