To mark Safer Internet Day, Google called on internet users across the Middle East and North Africa to take simple steps to stay safe online and to safeguard their data and privacy. As part of the one-week “#SaferArabicInternet” campaign,  Google is inviting  people to take its Privacy Checkup, a feature that helps people manage their privacy settings across a range of Google products and to also invite four family members or friends to do the same for a safer Arabic web for all.

To help parents across the Arab world equip their children with tools to have a safer online experience during distance learning throughout 2021, Google also announced a partnership with Injaz Al-Arab, a non-profit organization that drives youth entrepreneurship education and and Ministries of Education in Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Morocco to train 26,000 students on Abtal Al Internet, an online safety program for children.

The announcement was made via Google Arabia’s Blog and social media accounts and is part of Google’s ongoing commitment to help people have a safer online experience and safeguard their data and privacy. 

A few simple steps can make a difference such as remembering to update your device and browser,  using unique, hard to guess passwords along with Google’s Password Manager and Password Manager can help protect your accounts. Password Manager also helps people check the security of passwords saved to your Google Account. Moreover, enabling two factor authentication for emails can help safeguard against unwanted access to your emails.

For Google account holders, running a Google Privacy Checkup helps people safeguard their privacy and data across a range of products. Whether choosing to automatically delete web and browsing history, turning off timeline history on Maps, managing viewing history on YouTube or setting a reminder for privacy checks, the Privacy Checkup page offers a quick way for people to adjust their settings.

Each year, more than 200 million people visit Privacy Checkup. People who complete the privacy and password checkup will be able to share a “badge” and are encouraged to invite five friends and family members to do the same to help create a safer Arabic web.

In addition to the steps above, Google will be sharing daily tips between 9th and 15th February on Google Arabia’s Facebook and Twitter account to help people learn more about how to protect their data and have a safer experience online.

For families and educators, Google’s “Abtal Al Internet” program is designed to give parents and educators more tools to discuss online safety with children aged 7-12. The program has five simple, key pillars: Share with care, don’t fall for fake, secure your secrets, it’s cool to be kind, and when in doubt, talk it out. Together, these lessons help popularize and socialize how children can take their safety seriously, all while driving  a positive culture on the web.

Ensuring the safety and privacy of users is integral to Google and its  product design. Whether training to help educators and families equip children to stay safer online,  filters for unwanted messages on Gmail or Privacy Check, Google wants to help ensure a safer internet experience for people across the Arab world.