London, UK (IFPI) - IFPI today hailed the launch in the UK of the new 'Know IT All For Parents" campaign by Childnet International, the leading children's internet safety organisation. 'Know IT All For Parents' is aimed at helping adults better support their children's positive and safe use of the internet.
The campaign will see the distribution of an interactive CD ROM to 100,000 families who, over the next two years, will receive a computer as part of the Government's Computers for Pupils initiative. This national programme aims to put computers into the homes of pupils who don't have one, in order to give them the same opportunities as their peers.
The CD ROM provides information and links to the free software 'Digital File Check'. DFC was developed by the music sector educational alliance pro-music (www.pro-music.org) to help people ensure that they enjoy music safely and legally on the home computer. and stop illegally file-sharing music and films.
The internet safety advice which has already been translated into Bengali and Urdu, is presented by themes which relate to family life, such as downloading music, chatting or searching for information. As more and more children are accessing the internet through their mobile phones, there is also a separate section covering safe mobile use.
A key aim of the CD ROM is to encourage parents to have a dialogue with their children about the internet; this is why the CD ROM includes an activity centre with quizzes and games that parents and children can do together. A unique feature of the CD ROM is the ability to design and print out a special internet use 'Family Agreement' certificate which the family has agreed in relation to safety and responsible use in the home.
The CD ROM links to a wide range of safety organisations and where parents can report their concerns. These include The Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (www.ceop.gov.uk) and The Internet Watch Foundation (www.iwf.org.uk).
John Kennedy, chairman and chief executive of IFPI, says: "This is the best educational initiative of its kind that I have seen that helps explain the safety and legal issues around music downloading. In addition to its valuable advice on everything from spyware to online shopping, the 'Know it all for Parents' programme very effectively highlights to families the right way to download music, the more than 350 legal websites where you can do it and the risks you run by illegally file-sharing on peer-to-peer networks'.
For further information about 'Know IT All for Parents' and a chance to see some of the video content on the CD please visit: www.childnet-int.org/kia
