Digital Safety Framework Launched
As digital platforms increasingly shape daily life, the risks of online harm, including misinformation and exploitation, continue to rise – issues recently spotlighted in the Netflix series Adolescence. To help organizations address these challenges, the World Economic Forum has released a guide outlining best practices for designing and implementing safety interventions.
Developed with a host of global experts, including platform providers, regulators and non-governmental organizations, The Intervention Journey: A Roadmap to Effective Digital Safety Measures provides a framework for businesses to help mitigate risks while ensuring safety is embedded in digital innovation. Protecting users (and non-users) across a wide range of digital technologies and reinforcing trust in online spaces requires collaboration and a cross-sector approach, it says.
The framework consists of four steps:
- Identification – Assess and pinpoint risk factors unique to an organization’s services, user base and business model, recognizing that risks may be interconnected.
- Design – Embed safety measures from the start, following Safety by Design principles to prevent harm and build user trust.
- Implementation – Align interventions with broader digital strategies to ensure technical effectiveness and integration with organizational culture and values.
- Feedback, measurement and transparency – Continuously monitor and evaluate interventions using automated tools and audits to ensure effectiveness and drive improvements.
“The digital world is evolving rapidly, and so too must our approach to digital safety,” note two contributors to the report, Adam Hildreth, Founder of Crisp and Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner, in a recent article for Forum Stories. “Ensuring platforms prioritize digital safety is a collective effort – one that requires proactive planning, continuous adaptation, and a commitment to collaboration across sectors.”
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