Telia Company: NetClean and Telia Company a collaboration with impact

Children's rights in focus

Telia Company has long been an active participant in the fight against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. As well as voluntarily maintaining filters that block access on their networks, the company has created partnerships with NGOs such as the World Childhood Foundation. In addition, as signatories to Save The Children, UNICEF and UN charters, they strive to support freedom of expression while promoting protection for children online.

A robust response to a wider challenge

Telia’s networks and services – as a telco and a TV and Media provider – give access to information and the exchange of ideas in a way that supports freedom of expression, openness, transparency and democracy. However, despite the company’s commitment to respect freedoms, they draw a very clear line at CSAM and go to great efforts to block it from their networks. As Heddy explains, this is very much aligned with an overall strategy to ensure children can enjoy the Internet in a safe manner –

“Children’s rights and digital inclusion are human rights issues and as a business, we clearly understand that we have a wider responsibility to children and society. We’re fully committed to protecting and empowering children online and integrating their rights into everything we do. Quite simply, we want to give children a voice.”

To support their work, Telia Company has engaged with over 12 000 children in 7 countries via their Children’s Advisory Panel. While this initiative has led to many positive developments, it has also revealed some disturbing facts. For example, 1 in 10 children have been contacted by an adult they don’t know online – and this occurs even more frequently with girls, especially those over the age of 14. As Heddy concludes, this figure really puts the scale of the problem in sharp focus and makes Telia Company even more focused in their efforts.

Supporting Telia Company's efforts

Statistics like the one above underline the importance of what NetClean is trying to achieve. Together with Telia Company’s initiatives in the area of children’s rights, the impact of the collaboration has been profound. According to Heddy, their experience of NetClean has been very positive. NetClean’s annual report has been valuable in the sense that it provides Telia with information on current developments and emerging trends in the area of CSAM. This is important as it allows Telia to continuously review its strategy and approach.

Proud to take a stance

In total, Telia Company has over 20 000 licenses for NetClean software products. Everyone within the company’s business IT environment, including contractors and trainees, is protected. As well as reducing the risk to their IT environment and ensuring policy compliance, the software also enables more efficient collaboration with law enforcement agencies. There is also a human perspective to the relationship that Heddy is keen to stress -

“Our employees are proud of the stance we’re taking against the spread of child sexual abuse material. Facts show that watching is about taking one step closer to carrying out abuse in real life. By detecting CSAM in the workplace, we can assist law enforcement in locating individuals with a sexual interest in children and ultimately help rescue and safeguard these children.”

For more information on NetClean software products or to talk with one of our sales team, please contact (details). Discover more about NetClean products here (link) or learn about (link to article) the internal threat exposure to child sexual abuse material represents to your business IT environment.