Boniface Mandere: Digital Sovereignty Is Essential for Protecting Children
More than 1,000 experts in IT and artificial intelligence from 120 countries gathered in Moscow for the 2nd Global Digital Forum, held October 8–10. Participants discussed how to develop their own digital solutions and build technological ties with other countries.
Boniface Mandere, a cybersecurity expert from Malawi, spoke to the IT Russia media platform about why countries need their own digital infrastructure to protect children online.
– Malawi is a country in Southern Africa with a population of 21 million, 52% of whom are children and teenagers under the age of 18. My work focuses on cybersecurity and protecting children from online predators.
To do this, we need to develop IT infrastructure, improve digital literacy, adopt specific laws, and foster a culture of safe behavior online. Malawi does not yet have a comprehensive legal framework in this area. At the same time, the Ministry of Education is working to make social media safer for children.
To protect children online effectively, countries need to develop their own intelligent systems. The Malawian government currently lacks the ability to control internet access. We do not have the digital independence or our own platforms needed to ensure people's safety.
As a result, children can often visit different websites on their own and access harmful content. Although we have a regulatory body responsible for this area, children can still watch sexually explicit videos and other material that could harm them. Another serious problem is kidnapping and human trafficking. Children can fall victim to fraudsters and criminals they meet online. That is why we need our own digital infrastructure.
I am glad that digital sovereignty is being discussed at the Global Digital Forum. I have met many experts at the forum with different areas of knowledge and perspectives. I believe that together we can overcome many challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. We have much to learn from Russia, which is developing its own reliable and secure digital systems and pursuing technological independence. Other countries also offer valuable experience, particularly those that adopt relevant laws and establish legal frameworks to develop a safe and sustainable IT sector.
The forum gives us an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience and share our visions of what we want to achieve in the coming years for the sake of future generations.
