"SmartBus" will stop in 15 Italian cities involving over 4,500 lower secondary school students

Turin, February 7, 2023

Huawei and Parole O_Stili announced the launch of the "SmartBus" project, an initiative that will offer free training sessions to lower secondary school students with the aim of making them develop an adequate level of personal awareness on the subject of Internet security and on the opportunities and risks associated with the use of digital tools.

The SmartBus is a mobile interactive classroom equipped with digital devices that will stop in 15 cities in 5 Italian regions involving over 4,500 students who will be able to take part in the lessons held in the morning by certified tutors with the help of a dedicated APP entirely developed by Parole O_Stili specifically for the project. The tutors on the SmartBus will create an engaging, interactive and fun learning environment in which students can relate through activities that simulate potentially risky situations such as requests to share data or photos.

"On the occasion of the 20th Safer Internet Day, we are proud to inaugurate the SmartBus project here in Italy" - said Wilson Wang, CEO of Huawei Italy. Threats related to the use of the network have become a problem that must be addressed constantly by working on building awareness on the risks of the Internet. With this in mind, Huawei developed SmartBus to provide students aged 10-14 with the information they need about online safety and cyberbullying."

According to a 2022 survey by Ipsos and Changes Unipol, 30% of Italians do not perceive Cyber Risk as a danger, while 17% of citizens are unable to assess this risk and its consequences, highlighting little awareness and a lot of vulnerability. With regard to the adoption of measures to protect themselves from cyber risks, more than 1 Italian out of 2 tries to combat Cyber Risk by providing only the essential data and avoiding the sharing of photos, a practice which is instead very common among younger people who show a very low perception of risk related to the publication of their own pictures on Social Networks.

The pitfalls present on the net for the very young are numerous. Also in 2022, the Postal Police and the Cyber Security Operations Centers recorded an increase in the number of subjects (people or websites) identified and referred for crimes connected to techno-mediated abuse against minors. In particular, online grooming mostly involved pre-adolescents (10-13 years). While the cases of cyberbullying, which decreased slightly, mainly concerned the 14-17 age group.

"Young people need concrete examples, a guide who knows how to support them in a complicated and difficult world. Young people are our future and we must teach them not to be afraid of technology but rather to use it at their advantage. The initiative promoted by Huawei and Parole O_Stili, with the help of the SmartBus present today in Turin, goes precisely in the direction of preparing the younger generations, through interaction and entertainment, to overcome potentially dangerous situations. As parents, we have the precise task to follow our children and make sure that the tools in their hands are safe and a source of joy and not of danger or anxiety" – said Andrea Tronzano, Councilor for Productive Activities Development, Piedmont Region.

"The conscious use of technology and the Internet among the new generations is a priority for our City, which is why we strongly supported the initiative by Parole O_Stili and Huawei. Surfing the net offers a mine of advantages and opportunities, if seized and exploited in the right way. This is why the SmartBus initiative fits exactly in this context, so that girls and boys acquire greater awareness of what is happening online, recognizing both the possibilities and the risks. Furthermore, as a City, we are starting a discussion around the theme of online safety, in order to build a structured and participatory path with the school communities as, by collaborating together, we can find ways to communicate the importance of exploiting and mastering the resources of the network, without being dominated by it." – said Carlotta Salerno, Councilor for Education at Turin Municipality.

Under the motto #CYBERSICURIABORDO, the training offered by the SmartBus program will make students able to better discern which online resources are appropriate for their age and more aware of the different protective measures to adopt to protect themselves on the net such as the use of antivirus software, updating devices, choosing strong passwords and configuring social networks to maximize data privacy. Students will also learn to navigate online with the same caution as they would in real life and immediately report any inappropriate contact to a teacher or parent.

"It's with huge enthusiasm that we are starting this journey which, once again, offers us the extraordinary opportunity to be able to stand by the side of so many boys and girls, teachers and citizens to help them acquire adequate awareness of the use of digital tools. A special occasion that allows us to bring the 10 principles of the Manifesto of Non-Hostile Communication around Italy, with the hope that many other regions can also be reached next year. The partnership is also enriched by the special presence of the Postal Police who, in some stages of the tour, will be on board with us to engage in a direct dialogue with the new generations. Three partners, one single watchword: cybersecurity" - said Rosy Russo, President of Parole O_Stili.