Joining hands to protect and support children in the online environment

Deputy Director of the Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-Tech Crimes Senior Colonel Ha Van Bac, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa and Deputy Chief of Office of the National Cybersecurity Association Nguyen Thuc Linh attended the meeting.

Vietnamese children are not merely a vulnerable group in need of protection, but they are fully capable of contributing positively and effectively to the development and implementation of policies and measures to ensure cybersecurity and cyber safety, becoming active protectors by helping to build a safe and trustworthy digital environment for society as a whole.

Upholding the spirit “Children are heard - their voice is respected” throughout the process of drafting the Prime Minister’s decision on the 2026–2030 Program to protect and support children in the cyber environment, the consultation activities were co-organized by the Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-Tech Crimes and the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights, with the support of international child protection organizations operating in Vietnam, including Save the Children, ChildFund, World Vision International and Plan International.

The consultations took place from November 11 to 20 across 16 centrally-run provinces and cities, with the participation of 2,775 children providing information on their use of online services and applications.

Based on the consultation results and feedback from children, the Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-Tech Crimes, together with relevant units, developed a comprehensive overview of children’s use of services in cyberspace, counted frequent risks and direct threats to their safety and development, as well as encouraged children to express their views and propose solutions to protect themselves in cyberspace.

Thanks to the findings, the competent agencies can draft appropriate measures and tasks and advise the Prime Minister to include them in the program to protect and support children in the cyber environment for the 2026–2030 period, with the aim of achieving a dual objective: ensuring children’s safety while enabling them to grow healthily and improve their digital skills by harnessing the benefits of the cyber environment, contributing to the development of a new generation of Vietnamese “digital citizens” in the current context.