Tag Archives: Smart User Initiative

AVG

AVG and The Scouts challenge UK children to ‘Take Six’ before posting online

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LONDON – February 9, 2016 – AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people, and The Scout Association, announced today the start of a new initiative aimed at encouraging young people to think before posting or sharing their pictures, videos or texts. Today’s launch of Take 6, or #tk6 is focused on helping people make more informed decisions online with a small, but significant, behaviour change.

In a society where communication via mobile and social media is immediate, many people do not give much thought to ramifications of sending that text or that image. #tk6 is built on the idea that people should stop to think before posting or sending, essentially encouraging them to “take six seconds” before making that decision.

There are three options for the #tk6 community to tackle their very own ‘six-second challenge’:

  • Six Seconds of Silence: With the help of their friends and fellow Scouts, we challenge children to record a video showing the action of counting to six in silence, to symbolise the six seconds of thinking before you post.
  • The Lemon Challenge: Accepting the nomination, brave the bitterness to bite into a lemon for six seconds, then nominate six more people to take the challenge.
  • Be Prepared: Create six-second videos illustrating The Scouts’ “Be Prepared” motto to represent the time needed to stop and think about a decision in the digital world.

Challenges will be accepted via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, when posted with #tk6.

The AVG Technologies and The Scout Association partnership sees the development of the #tk6 platform, supported by social media, designed to offer three, key interactions:

  1. Connect– building a community
  2. Discover– embed #tk6 into behavioural consciousness
  3. Engage– source and share relevant and entertaining content

Introducing this programme with The Scout Association and its extensive network, the “take six seconds” challenge empowers digitally savvy young people to make real change to their online behaviour. The programme creates a forum, where they can openly share some of the key issues in their world, learn from each other, and make better decisions for the future. When surveying the landscape of online content today, the vast majority of it is targeted to the parents or is talking down to kids. We want to create a place online where youth can positively influence each other, rather than listening to (or more likely ignoring) lectures from adults. With the right tools, and just a little bit of time to think before they act (say, six seconds), young people can be more responsible than we give them credit for.

“AVG is proud to be adding the #tk6 campaign to our #smartuser initiative,” said Tony Anscombe, Senior Security Evangelist at AVG Technologies. “The #smartuser initiative aims to educate and empower people, helping ensure they receive information about online responsibilities with the right content at the right time. Partnering with The Scout Association will introduce #tk6 to millions of UK-based Scouting, and indirectly, non-Scouting, individuals to play an active part in this.”

“Together, we will seek to create a #tk6 community where relevant brands, influencers and organisations can engage,” said Alex Killick, Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Scout Association. “Our aim is for this partnership to deliver the shared space, not just to create a community, but to give the community the opportunity to share the key issues they face.”

 

 

About AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG):

AVG is the leading provider of software services to secure devices, data and people. AVG’s award-winning consumer portfolio includes internet security, performance optimization, location services, data controls and insights, and privacy and identity protection, for mobile devices and desktops. The AVG Business portfolio, delivered through a global partner network, provides cloud security and remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions that protect small and medium businesses around the world. For more information visit www.avg.com.

 

About the Smart User Initiative:

The Smart User Initiative is a growing global digital coalition of individuals, businesses and brands working together to help prepare the next wave of digital citizens to be safer, happier and more productive online. Our aim is to nurture and enable the next four billion smart phone users to have the digital skills needed to enjoy the Internet and the digital world without compromising themselves or others. When people get their first smart phone it doesn’t come with an instruction manual to teach them the “dos and don’ts” of digital safety to protect themselves from identity theft, privacy breeches, cyberbullying and more. The Smart User Initiative uses entertaining and engaging content that’s accessible right where the users need it to create a place where anyone can get involved from simple association right through to active participation.

http://www.take6.org/

 

About Scouting:

The Scout Association was founded on 1 August 1907.

Adventure is at the core of Scouting, and the Association passionately believes in helping their members fulfil their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential by working in teams, learning by doing and thinking for themselves.

Over 200 activities are offered by Scouting around the UK, made possible by the efforts of 100,000 voluntary adult leaders. This has helped make Scouting the largest co-educational youth movement in the UK.

One of the challenges that the Scout Movement faces is finding more volunteers to plug the current gap.  At present there are over 35,000 young people on waiting lists as more and more young people want to experience the adventure of Scouting.

Studies have shown Scout Leaders contribute the equivalent of 37 million hours voluntary work every year which is the equivalent of £380 million pounds worth of unpaid youth work.

Worldwide Scouting has more than 31 million male and female members and operates in nearly every country in the world.

In January 2012 the Duchess of Cambridge started to volunteer with the Scout Movement with her local group in North Wales.

91% of Scout volunteers and 88% of youth members say that Scouting has helped them develop key skills for life. *

In 2012 Scouting was voted the UK’s most inspirational and practical charity. *

*Source nfpSynergy Brand Attributes Survey, May 2012 and PACE Members survey 2011

 

Contact:

 AVG: Tony Mays
Tel: +44 7852 776936
Email: [email protected]

 Press information: http://now.avg.com

AVG

Teaching the Next Two-Billion Smart Users How to “Drive” on the Internet

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When you got behind the wheel of a car for the first time, you probably underestimated the power of the vehicle in your hands. Most likely, you had someone teach you how to drive and educated you on the good and bad that can come of it, preaching that your chances of having a safe and enjoyable experience are best if you know the rules of the road and learn how to practice a little defensive driving.

It’s really no different when teaching kids how to navigate the Internet.

According to recent findings out of Common Sense Media, online media use is at an all-time high and when we give our children access to the Internet; be it through a smartphone, tablet, PC or any other connected device, we are really giving them access to a powerful vehicle. It’s the job of parents, educators and other influencers to teach safe and responsible Internet use.

Last year I first introduced the Smart User initiative in which AVG vowed to make meaningful strides in educating Internet users from its dangers with the right content at the right time. One year and multiple partnerships later, the Smart User mission is well on its way. While it’s everyone’s job to keep kids and those new to the Internet informed, here are some things you can do as a parent to help your child successfully and safely use the Internet.

  1. Have your child sit in the passenger’s seat while you drive
    If you think your kids are ready for the Internet, next time you’re using it, have them sit and watch how you safely navigate. Make sure to point out signs of danger and things to avoid clicking. Describe what you’re doing, and why.
  1. Have your child lean over and grab the wheel
    Now that they’ve seen firsthand how the Internet works, have your child lean over your shoulder and do a bit of safe clicking.
  1. Switch seats; it’s time for them to take the driver’s seat
    With you at a safe distance but not hovering over them, let your child use their connected device. If they run into trouble they can always rely on you to be nearby.

Finally, don’t forget to continue your education on the Internet’s latest threats and risks by visiting our blog regularly at now.avg.com. For more information on #SmartUser, visit smartuser.com.

AVG

Kids safety online depends on us being better role models

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We lock our doors and activate security systems to keep intruders out. We place parental controls on TV channels to manage what our children watch. We keep our kids out of R-rated movies until we feel it’s appropriate. We monitor the violence of their videos games. All of this to keep them shielded from explicit content. Except this time, the violence was very real and readily available on social media.

The recent shootings in Virginia created an unprecedented situation for parents. The incident was caught on camera during a live broadcast of a television newscast, producing a graphic video of the shooting, violence that wasn’t in a video game or TV show but a real murder. That clip, along with video of shocked expressions during the newscast, circulated the Internet available for children to stumble upon. The shooter also recorded the murder from his phone and uploaded it onto social media, making the video widely available. And people viewed it and shared it.

This also raises larger questions: How many people viewed these videos online? Should we have sought out and viewed these videos? Is there a social responsibility to take ownership of our online behaviour? Is our own behaviour demonstrating to our kids how to responsibly use the internet?

The children we try so hard to protect could have seen these videos online. Children’s introduction to the Internet often happens before they’re educated in online safety skills. An AVG Technologies survey found 66 percent of children ages three to five stated that they can play a computer game, but only 14 percent can tie their own shoes.

Much of the online crises that can occur to youth today—from teen sexting to identity theft to cyberbullying—can be mostly avoided if they understand the consequences of their actions. According to the same survey from AVG, nearly one in three teenagers said they regret posting something online and 32 percent have had to ask someone to remove content posted online about them.

When technological development outpaces society’s sense of responsibility and understanding of that technology, it can create unintended consequences in our lives and in the lives of our children. The answer is not only to encourage a society-wide attitude of responsibility for our impact as digital citizens, but also to empower the leadership of organizations to work together and create new solutions that allow innovation to continue while taking responsibility for our own digital lives.

For more information about the Smart User Initiative, go to www.smartuser.com.

AVG

Is lack of trust limiting the potential for new online services?

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If you do any or all of these, do you ever stop to think about whether you can trust these online services with your private data like bank details, personal health information, on top of the usual address and date of birth?

With the rapid development and uptake of the Internet of Things, 2015 is set to be the year where the choice of connected devices and services will really take off. With an estimated two billion new people coming online in the next four years across the world, the consideration of who they can trust with their data online has never been more relevant.

Building trust online isn’t as easy as it sounds. It involves every one of us, as individual web users, businesses leaders, policy makers and governments. It’s an agreement of rights and responsibilities on both end-user and provider sides of connected services.

With mobile being the most accessible and affordable means to connect to the Internet for billions of people in developing economies, the telecoms industry at large is going to have a very large role to play in building trust. This means anyone who is providing a mobile service or product needs to be part of this debate.

AVG’s CEO Gary Kovacs recently took part in a debate at GSMA’s Mobile 360 event on the steps needed to build a digital future for Europe. He outlined three principles that the industry must consider in this area.

First, we can’t expect users to simply understand the implications of going online for public services. The industry has a responsibility to help educate the web’s newest arrivals to understand the implications what they do online. Personal data is traded and marketed, and individual privacy can be eroded both with express user knowledge and without.

AVG recently attended the Clinton Global Initiative and announced its Smart User Mission which aims to help first time smartphone users better understand how their data and privacy is affected by the apps and services that they use. The main aim is to help consumers understand that sharing data is not bad; it simply needs to be consensual.

Smart User Iniative

Second, understanding and consenting to personal data exchange bring us to another issue; transparency. At some stage, we’ve all blindly accepted privacy and usage policies for apps and services. Businesses must take steps to become more transparent about their data policies and give users a clear explanation of how their data will be used. AVG has already done this with its Short Data Privacy Notice for its mobile apps but we recognize there is always more that can be done.

Finally, whatever actions the industry takes, we have to enforce it; it has to have teeth and it has to matter if it is to be meaningful. The need to grow consumer trust with the next generation of online services represents the next obstacle in our connected journey and the framework we work to put in place today will set the tone for users’ experiences online in the future.

Image courtesy of GSMA