Save the Children and the industry's responsibilities Over the last few years, Save the Children Italy has encouraged ICT industry representatives to develop a more open approach towards both institutions and NGOs which promote children rights, and consumer and parents’ associations. Save the Children also encourages common approaches and strategies when it comes to child protection among those operating within the same field.

Within the framework of EASY, the Italian national campaign on a positive and responsible use of new media co-funded by the European Commission, Save the Children has carried out many activities directed at and in cooperation with actors in the industry in order to stress their responsibilities when providing tools and services for children.

Save the Children’s point of view is that “Safety for children” should be considered an added valued by the ICT industry and has to be understood within their corporate social responsibility. Save the Children has tried to promote its vision through a long series of important events that publicises its work among all stakeholders. This has led it to build a significant collaboration with ICT representatives within the Italian landscape.

On the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2007, Save the Children organised a roundtable involving high-level representatives from the main Italian ICT industries.  Its aim was to discuss responsibilities to ensure a safer use of products among young people. It provided a useful starting point for industry to respond to questions like: “What are your responsibilities? What do you do to reduce risks for children dealing with new technologies? What could you do more?”  Through this collaboration with Vodafone Italy a parents’ guide for a responsible use of mobiles was produced.

In order to build a concrete dialogue with ICT sector stakeholders, on the occasion of SMAU (the most important ICT trade fair in Italy), Save the Children organised the seminar Corporate Social Responsibility and children’s rights - providing added value for a company?

The seminar was attended by high-level representatives from Italian ICT industries: Italy’s most popular social networks providers, Italian mobile operators, Microsoft and CRS associations. Its aim was to stimulate a debate and to promote a new perspective among Italian ICT industries with regards to the relationship between young people and new media in terms of its safer use.

During 2008, Save the Children has continued to move forward in this direction focusing on the Social Network phenomenon, with the objective of strengthening the role of ICT industries. To this end, on Safer Internet Day 2008, Save the Children organised the roundtable “teens and SN” with the aim of encouraging the industry to take more responsibility and provide their customers with information and ad hoc tools to protect children when using their products. The objective was to raise their awareness about the need to work towards making social network sites safer, pre-empting problems. As a proof of the Italian social network providers’ commitment in this field “easyZONE” (the first community game in collaboration with the top Italian educational portal) and the current support being received from some SN providers in the promotion of the online campaign “Posta con la testa”  can be mentioned.