BANFF – The Shaw Rocket Fund is backing a new kids' digital safety program to help Canadian producers ensure a safe environment for kids when creating digital experiences.
The Rocket Online Safety Program, unveiled at the Banff World Media Festival, will ensure that all Canadian digital content receiving Rocket Fund investment be certified based on established online safety and/or privacy standards through the kidSAFE Seal Program, an independent safety certification service designed exclusively for children-friendly websites and technologies.
The program will launch in September 2018 and be open to all Canadian producers of kids' digital content to encourage the certification of any kids' digital content being made in Canada. Online game sites, educational services, virtual worlds, social networks, mobile apps, tablet devices, connected toys, and other similar online and interactive services will all be eligible.
The Shaw Rocket Fund will finance 100% of the cost of kidSAFE Seal Certification over the first year of the program, plus provide funding assistance of up to 75% of the cost of certification required in foreign regions for programs that the Fund has invested in, such as COPPA in the U.S. or GDPR in Europe, should a producer require it.
"The Shaw Rocket Fund believes that a safe online environment for kids is paramount”, said Shaw Rocket Fund president and CEO Agnes Augustin, in the news release. “We want to help Canadian creators of kids' digital content take this very important step towards a safer online experience for our children.”
Eligibility criteria established by the Fund for investment in the creation of digital content remains unchanged.
