
Tirana, 11 October 2024 – The Regional Workshop: A Digital Safety Agenda in Western Balkans, organised by CRCA/ECPAT Albania and TikTok, in partnership with the Albanian Broadcasting Authority, gathered this morning in the capital of Albania, Tirana, the representatives of the authorities, CSO’s, media and experts to discuss on digital literacy and online child safety. More than 60 participants and over 20 media outlets attending the meeting, which is the first in a series of workshops and activities that CRCA Albania and TikTok are organising together across Western Balkan countries.
“At CRCA/ECPAT Albania we strongly believe that by coming together authorities, civil society, the industry, we can make the digital space safer for children and young people, where they can benefit all the best aspects of technological development. A safe space for children, is a safe space for everyone.” – said Altin Hazizaj, Executive Director of CRCA/ECPAT Albania at the opening of the regional meeting.
The workshop is part of a joint initiative of Tiktok and CRCA/ECPAT Albania to raise digital literacy and safety awareness among children, women and other vulnerable groups by supporting share of information and good practices among professionals, authorities and CSO’s in six Western Balkan countries. Speakers from the Audiovisual Authorities of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, shared their experience and issues of concern when it comes to making online digital space safe for children.
“TikTok’s ultimate mission is to provide an open, welcoming space, where everyone feels safe” states Łukasz Gabler, Public Policy Manager in TikTok CEE. “That’s why we’re expanding moderation to remove hateful content, we’re empowering our community by developing tools that improve safety and well-being, and we engage in projects with trusted partners, like CRCA to better respond to local needs. We are really proud of this project and we hope this will vastly support the awareness of the digital skills in the Western Balkans”.
At the opening of the workshop TikTok and CRCA/ECPAT Albania launched their comprehensive project aimed at equipping communities, with a digital literacy knowledge and skills, covering such aspects, as: responsible use of internet, safety measures and social communication. Given the nature of the issue, the specific focus will be put on parents/caregivers and teachers, children, youth and women, to reflect the needs and attitudes of these groups and the particular risks they may encounter in the digital world.
For more information, please contact:
CRCA/ECPAT Albania