Tencent Launches "Online Safety" Training for Students

2007.04.20

April 20 2007 – Today 54 junior reporters from Shenzhen Donghu Primary School visited Tencent headquarters in the city's Hi-tech Park. In addition to this highly anticipated tour of the home of the "QQ Penguin" the young journalists also exchanged with Tencent's experts on Internet knowledge and received training in "online safety."

"We all like QQ and hope that Tencent can give us more safety knowledge related to QQ and Internet surfing" said Zeng Xiangfeng excitingly with a cute penguin mascot in hand after the training. Zhou Xueming teacher representing the Shenzhen Junior Journalists Association acknowledged the students' emotions saying "Pupils are very fond of QQ. This visit to Tencent made them very happy. As schools and teachers see it we are really in need of companies like Tencent to help us educate students about online safety."

In recent years the rapid development of the Internet and the access it allows to vast quantities of information have attracted an increasing number of students online. According to statistics in the 18th Statistical Report on China Internet Development Status released by the China Internet Network Information Center last July some 30 million or 15.4% of China's 200 million middle school and primary school students have used the Internet. Among the country's 110 million primary school pupils some 2.5 million have been online. While an increasing number of pupils are getting online this group is the most vulnerable in terms of knowledge of Internet safety.

"As children and teenagers are loyal user groups of Tencent we feel it is our mission and responsibility to take an interest in their healthy development. We hope that with our technological strength we can effectively promote Internet safety knowledge by training kids guiding them in the proper use the Internet and steering them away from harmful content" said Tencent Chief Administration Officer Chen Yidan introducing the company's "green training" program on online safety for pupils.

According to sources Tencent has been enthusiastically carrying out its corporate social responsibilities. In 2006 Tencent established the first charity foundation ever set up by a Chinese Internet enterprise stating education as one of the foundation's key objectives. In July 2006 Tencent employees took it upon themselves to establish the Tencent Volunteer Organization via BBS. Since its launch the organization has cooperated with the Nanshan Volunteers Association donated clothing and equipment to disaster areas hit by floods in Hunan Province cared for autistic children implemented an environmental protection program for offices and studied problems and helped students in poverty-stricken mountainous regions of Jiulianshan Zhaoqing and southeastern Guizhou Province.

The training given to the junior journalists of Donghu Primary School is only the beginning of the online safety "green training" program launched by Tencent volunteers. "This activity is a pilot training the main purpose of which is to see the acceptance level of kids in regards to Internet knowledge. Starting next month Tencent volunteers will visit schools and communities and around June 1st we will stage a large-scale exhibition and training on "green surfing" – a green festival gift to our young friends" declared Tencent volunteer representative Chang Jia. "In addition the Children's Channel of QQ.com also provides an interactive communication platform for kids. We expect to effectively protect the healthy development of our next generation through these kinds of measures."

Hao Xianghong Secretary General of the China Youth Association for Network Development once said: "Guiding young people to surf the Internet in a healthy environment requires the mobilization of forces across society including companies associations and families to create a green Internet environment for youth." When a leading Internet enterprise like Tencent starts to take action we are pleased because companies concern in creating a safe and healthy Internet environment for kids will ultimately help to build and maintain a harmonious society.