The new online safety campaign was launched by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection supported with provincial funding. It urges families to talk to their teens and tweens about the risks of online activities such as live streaming, online gaming and live chatting.  Manitoba Families Minister Heather Stefanson notes with more young people spending time online than ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic digital safety is more important than ever.  The Cybertip.ca tipline has seen a more than an 80 percent increase in online child exploitation reported in recent months.

The campaign includes television, print, digital and social media tools, with additional information and resources available at www.protectkidsonline.ca , a website that provides tips on what parents can do to keep kids safe online along with age appropriate points to talk about with teens and tweens.  Free online safety lessons have also been developed for teachers and families with students in grades three to eight on how to identify and respond to unsafe situations online which can be accessed at www.protectchildren.ca/order.