OREANDA-NEWS. February 05, 2010. The Friendly Runet Fund, the Internet Development Fund, Comstar–United Telesystems (OJSC Comstar-UTS, LSE: CMST), the largest supplier of integrated telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS, and the Moscow City Telephone Network (MGTS), a member of the Comstar-UTS Group, announced the launching of their joint All-Russia social project – “Kids Online” helpdesk  making part of the Safe Internet Year drive. Through it, the users can get an expert advice concerning the safe usage of the Internet and mobile.

Its trial run began since December, 15th, 2009.

For the purpose of this project Comstar-UTS, having it own DLD/ILD access, has assigned a uniform federal number 8-800-25-000-15 to enable free long-distance calls across all Russia (Toll Free service), while MGTS has provided the workstations for Line Operators  in the call-centre of the nation’s largest directory assistance 009 service.

Through Kids Online helpdesk one can reach  professional experts – psychologists and technical experts. The helpdesk specialists have been trained by psychological department of the Moscow State University and Federal Institute for a education development at the RF Ministry of Education and Science and others.

The aim of this socially significant project is to bring psychological and practical assistance to children and teenagers facing a real danger or an adverse situation when using the Internet and-or mobile communication (virtual persecution, harassment, roughness, blackmail, fraud, unauthorized access, unsolicited content etc.), and also advice to parents and teachers on  the safe use  of the Internet and  mobile by children. The Kids Online helpdesk  will cultivate the skills of the safe Internet usage by children, parents and teachers and inform on the spread and  trends of threats and effectiveness of actions to thwart them  in the field modern IT and communications.

You can call the HelpDesk by telephone free of charge from anywhere in the country, or reach it by e-mail: helpdesk@detionline.org. Calls are accepted on business days from 9.00 to 18h00 Moscow time. 

The Kids Online  HelpDesk aims three target groups in Russia: the young (under 18) users of Internet and mobile, their parents, teachers and employees of educational and pedagogical establishments. 

Galina Soldatova,  Director of the Internet Development Fund commented: “The Internet usage by the Russian schoolchildren has dramatically surged over the past few years owning to substantially increased penetration of computers to households and connection to the Internet of almost every school as a result of the national project. According to the Internet Development Fund surveys there is a high degree of children and teenagers exposure to negative content and other risks in the Internet environment. Yet the children had nowhere to turn to for help when faced with Internet threats. The efforts exerted by some public and educational organizations, charged to enlight  and make  people aware on the problems and rights posed by the Internet, in the circumstances,  were obviously not enough.  Creation of Kids Online helpdesk is an important practical move towards fixing those setbacks. Professional experts of the helpdesk will help children in trouble, instruct them about necessary steps, will consult parents and teachers about how to organize the safe Internet for children and actions to be taken by the adults in various situations”.

“There are about 10 million young mobile and Internet users across Russia. New technologies have expanded communicative opportunities for our children. But at same time there is crime rising against minors through IT and communications means. Cyber hacking, exposure to negative content, harassments, fraud are a few of many such dangers. And a significant amount of such crime is latent”, said  Evgeny Bespalov, the general director of Friendly Runet Fund. - The Kids Online is focused on prevention in the field of safety  in the Internet and mobile communication. Its prime goal is to avert illegal actions against minors, and in cases when a child falls victim of illegal actions, to provide a concrete psychological help and advice”.

Sergey Pridantsev, the President and CEO of Comstar-UTS Group commented: “Last year COMSTAR and MGTS signed a frame agreement with Friendly Runet Fund on cooperation to counter the spread of adverse content via the Internet, including,  by supporting the Hot Line created to receive  information about propagation of children pornography. We have also energetically joined in the Safe Internet Year events in Russia, becoming an official partner of this important public drive, and have held a number of joint actions for informing the  audience on potential Internet threats and methods of protection against them. We consider the safety of users and especially children to be a key priority of the social policy to which  a telecommunication operator should adhere. Therefore we provided the resources of our DLD/ILD network for the Kids Online  Help Desk now available not only to over one million of our BBA Internet subscribers, but to all Network user in need of real help and expert advice”.

 “Expansion of the  worldwide  net broadens the limits of our knowledge and experience. And we should now heed the Internet particular features the  in the education process and when conceiving the practical programs of psychological assistance. The psychology department of the Moscow State University, besides producing various scientific and training programs offered through the Internet, pays special attention to shaping methodical principles for online consultation as a new type of psychological aid to population. Employees of psychology department were involved through scientific and methodical, organizational and expert advice efforts in this socially significant project on its  trial operation stage. We envisage to continue this important work in the long-term as well”, said Yury Zinchenko,  the Dean of Psychology department of the Moscow State University.

The Helpdesk has a central node at its core which role is multifold: to receive, analyze and screen the calls; bring  psychological, legal and technical help to minor users, their parents and teachers; inform the state departments (Internal Affairs and Emergency Situations Ministries of Russia) about the occurrences threatening  the life of citizens or indications of illegal acts. The project is open for new participants. The next stage in evolution of the Kids Online HelpDesk will be formation of the net  partnership including regional organizations working in the field of protection of children and  legal aid to the population.