Child online protection
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Creating a Safer Digital Future for Africa’s Children
As digital connectivity expands across Africa, so too does our shared responsibility to ensure that children are safe, informed, and empowered in the online world. While the internet enables young people to learn, connect and grow, it also exposes them to rising threats that can compromise their rights and well-being. Addressing these challenges requires more than policy — it demands intentional collaboration, child-centred design, and decisive action.
MTN is actively contributing to the realisation of the African Union Child Online Safety and Empowerment Strategy by aligning our programmes, safeguards, and partnerships with its core principles. Our approach is rooted in protecting children from harm, amplifying their voices, and working with governments, industry, and civil society to create safe, inclusive digital ecosystems.
We continue to strengthen safeguards across our operations, including blocking access to known sources of child sexual abuse material through third-party tools, supporting law enforcement investigations, and offering confidential public reporting via the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) portal. In addition, we are deepening awareness and capacity by supporting digital literacy initiatives that equip parents, caregivers, and young users with the knowledge to navigate the online world safely.
But policies and programmes are most effective when shaped with — not just for — young people. That’s why we are committed to supporting platforms and campaigns that centre youth voices and lived experiences, while working with stakeholders to embed these perspectives in policy, education, and digital innovation.
MTN’s position on child online protection
GSMA Whitepaper: Protecting Children Online in Africa
Explore key insights from the GSMA-MTN Ministerial Roundtable on Child Online Protection (COP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, held at MWC 2025. The whitepaper highlights the urgent need to integrate COP into digital strategies, drawing on new research from MTN and Ipsos on youth online behaviour. It offers practical recommendations for governments, tech companies, and civil society to collaborate for a safer digital future.
Enhancing Child Online Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa
MTN Unveils Groundbreaking Research on Child Online Safety in Africa
As part of its Help Children Be Children initiative, MTN Group commissioned new research with IPSOS to better understand the online experiences of children in Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zambia. The findings reveal urgent challenges, including high levels of cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and rising mental health concerns among youth.
Online child safety: African Insights
Zambia Let Children Be Children
Nigeria Let Children be Children
South Sudan Let Children Be Children
Room of safety
MTV Base, Africa’s leading youth and pop culture platform, has partnered with MTN Group to launch Room of Safety — a bold new digital series created to raise awareness among young Africans about internet safety and responsible online behaviour.
Premiering on the 29th of June, the 10-part short-form series will air across MTV, MTV Base, and MTV’s social media platforms. Room of Safety features voices from Paramount’s Culture Squad alongside influential young African creators and content leaders. Together, they unpack online threats like cyberbullying, harmful content, and manipulative digital behaviours — all while equipping youth with the confidence and tools to take action.
One click can change a life. Let’s make it count — by choosing safety, speaking up, and staying informed.
Report Safely
Help Is Here: Reporting Platforms That Protect Children Across Africa
While the internet offers endless opportunities to learn, connect and grow, it can also be misused in ways that cause harm — especially to children. At MTN, through our Help Children Be Children programme and the Room of Safety campaign, we are committed to making digital spaces safer for Africa’s youth by ensuring that accessible, reliable support channels are available in every country.
Working in partnership with governments, law enforcement, civil society, and global experts like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), we support a growing network of national and continental reporting platforms.
These platforms enable the public to confidentially and anonymously report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or harmful online content — and in doing so, help protect children from further exploitation.
Across Africa, support is available through:
- Country-specific helplines and reporting portals managed by government agencies and local child protection partners;
- The IWF Reporting Portal, accessible in multiple countries, which allows quick, anonymous reporting of suspected CSAM and works with international law enforcement to remove illegal content at source;
- Child Helpline Africa, part of a global network offering children, parents and caregivers free access to guidance, referrals and psychosocial support;
- Law enforcement-led initiatives, where our cooperation ensures perpetrators are investigated and held accountable under the law.
See something?
Say something. Report it today
Be part of building a safer internet for Africa’s children. See below for reporting platforms available in your country and across the continent.
Contacts in South Africa
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Childline South Africa
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24/7 helpline for children and adults concerned about children's well-being.
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SADAG
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Mental health support, suicide crisis, and anxiety helplines.
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Childline South Africa
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About
24/7 helpline for children and adults concerned about children's well-being.
- Website
Name
SADAG
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About
Mental health support, suicide crisis, and anxiety helplines.
- Website
Contacts in Nigeria
| Name | About | Website |
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Cece Yara Foundation
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Provides child helpline and support services to report abuse and seek help.
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HDI Child Helpline
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Offers assistance and protection services for children in distress.
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Cece Yara Foundation
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About
Provides child helpline and support services to report abuse and seek help.
- Website
Name
HDI Child Helpline
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About
Offers assistance and protection services for children in distress.
- Website
Contacts in Ghana
| Name | About | Website |
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Cyber Security Authority
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National authority responsible for cyber safety and digital protection of children.
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Child Helpline Ghana
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Provides support for children facing abuse or distress.
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Cyber Security Authority
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About
National authority responsible for cyber safety and digital protection of children.
- Website
Name
Child Helpline Ghana
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About
Provides support for children facing abuse or distress.
- Website
Information
Empowering Safe Digital Journeys for Youth
In today’s fast-evolving digital world, young people are growing up in an environment where AI companions, social platforms, and constant connectivity shape how they learn, connect, and explore their identities. As these technologies become more embedded in daily life, the importance of equipping youth—and those who support them—with the tools to stay safe online cannot be overstated.
Creating safe digital spaces starts with access to information, open and healthy conversations, and cross-generational collaboration. Whether you’re a young person making sense of the online world, a caregiver supporting a child, or a law enforcement officer responding to digital threats, the resources below are designed to provide practical, accessible guidance to help protect and empower youth across Africa and beyond.
The Importance of Online Safety in the Age of AI Companions
As children increasingly interact with AI-driven chatbots and virtual companions, new risks are emerging. These tools may appear helpful or entertaining, but they often collect and process personal information—such as interests, emotions, and behavioural patterns—without full transparency. This can lead to emotional over-reliance, manipulation, or unintended exposure to harmful content.
Understanding how AI systems work, and helping children engage critically and cautiously, is essential.
AI and Children’s Rights
Unicef: AI and Children’s Rights
Outlines how AI can influence children’s rights, privacy, and mental health, with guidance for families and policymakers.
How to Keep Your Child Safe Online
UNICEF: How to Keep Your Child Safe Online
Offers clear, practical suggestions for caregivers on setting boundaries, managing screen time, and encouraging open conversations.
Recognising and Addressing Harmful Online Behaviour
Online interactions can sometimes blur the line between playful teasing and harmful behaviour. For young people, learning to identify the signs of cyberbullying—such as exclusion, persistent mockery, or threatening messages—is crucial. Equally important is knowing how to respond, when to speak up, and who to turn to for help.
Cyberbullying – What It Is and How to Stop It
UNICEF: Cyberbullying – What It Is and How to Stop It
Explains the forms cyberbullying can take and provides tools for recognising and dealing with it early.
Tips for Helping a Child in Crisis
Child Helpline: Tips for Helping a Child in Crisis
Offers brief, actionable advice for parents and professionals supporting children facing online abuse or emotional distress.
Exposure to Inappropriate or Harmful Content
Children are often exposed to violent, sexual, or otherwise age-inappropriate content online—sometimes by accident, sometimes through manipulation. Such experiences can influence their mental health, worldview, and self-perception, particularly if they are not given the opportunity to process what they’ve seen in a safe, trusted space.
Digital Safety Resource Hub
ICMEC: Digital Safety Resource Hub
Provides printable tip sheets and learning tools for preventing early exposure to harmful content.
Child Safety Online
UNICEF: Child Safety Online
Highlights real-world challenges and strategies for supporting children after exposure to disturbing content.
Navigating Social Media Pressures
Social media can be a powerful tool for expression—but it can also create intense pressure to conform, perform, and constantly compare. Helping young people build digital resilience and media literacy is key to countering these pressures.
Drawing the Line in Digital Spaces
UNICEF: Drawing the Line in Digital Spaces
A report that explores how youth experience digital spaces and how caregivers and mentors can help them set healthy boundaries.
Interactive Safety Stories: A Colorful Activity Book for Young Children
ICMEC: KidzLive Interactive Booklet (PDF)
A colourful, interactive booklet that teaches younger children to protect themselves using stories and activities.
Protecting Personal Information Online
Oversharing online is a common risk for young users. Teaching digital consent, privacy awareness, and critical thinking about what is shared online is a shared responsibility.
Privacy Checklist for Parents
UNICEF: Privacy Checklist for Parents
A printable guide for parents to review essential safety checks with their children.
Family Digital Safety: Conversation Starters and Trust-Building Guide
IWF: Talk, Trust, Empower (PDF)
Offers practical conversation starters and behavioural cues to help families build trust and digital safety skills.
Coping with the Emotional Toll of Online Life
Being constantly connected can take an emotional toll on young people—leading to fatigue, stress, and burnout. Encouraging mental wellness, setting digital boundaries, and creating safe offline spaces are all part of building emotional resilience.
Digital Wellbeing Guide
UNICEF: Digital Wellbeing Guide
Shares tips to promote emotional balance, healthy screen habits, and supportive relationships.
Child Helpline International
Child Helpline International: Resources
A hub of guides for responding to online abuse and mental health crises, tailored for caregivers and child protection professionals.