With the Covid-19 pandemic driving more people online, Digicel recognises the need to place additional emphasis on digital security. Children in particular are vulnerable as they navigate online learning and increased screen time, inadvertently putting themselves at risk of cyberbullying, sextortion and exposure to content that may be inappropriate for their age.

In order to improve the online safety of its young users, Digicel has partnered with SafeToNet in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago to help keep children safe. For more information on SafeToNet, and a promotional code for a two-month free trial, Digicel and non-Digicel customers can access the SafeToNet channel in the Discover Services of BiP, an app for enhanced messaging and marketplaces.

Digicel’s operations span more than 30 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific regions, so SafeToNet’s ability to provide a secure digital environment, anywhere in the world, makes them an ideal partner.

SafeToNet’s app uses artificial intelligence to detect and filter risks as they happen, while respecting children’s privacy. The app empowers children to navigate the digital world by providing them with real-time prompts offering advice on potentially risky cyber interactions, breathing exercises when signs of anxiety and fear are detected, emotional understanding through the use of a dairy that helps them articulate and analyse their feelings, and so much more.

While parents cannot see what their children are doing, through the app, they are given insight into their child’s digital world. This includes information on when high risk messages are sent, their child’s proximity to risk, the top five apps used by their child where safety levels can be improved and real-time identification of online issues when they arise.

Richard Pursey, SafeToNet Founder and Group CEO, said: “SafeToNet’s priority is keeping children safe online. The app doesn’t allow parents to snoop or spy on their kids, but they are given the insight they need to ensure their child is safe. It’s a digital age, and most children live their life online, this won’t change, so we think it’s important to give children the tools they need to navigate the digital world safely. There are dangers that can affect their psychological and, in some cases, physical welfare, but by offering real-time advice and guidance for children and parents about online issues as they arise, the app is able to help when it is needed the most.”

SafeToNet’s pioneering technology has won multiple awards including CISCO’s Top 50 Security Start-up and Business Cloud’s 101 Tech Disruptors Award among others.