CRY Launches ‘Ting Tong’ Campaign to Promote Safer Digital Spaces for Children

New Delhi: With the internet becoming an integral part of childhood, CRY – Child Rights and You has launched a nationwide campaign to promote safer online behaviour among children and create greater awareness about emerging digital risks.

The ‘Ting Tong’ campaign, launched on August 12, seeks to encourage children and adults to adopt one simple habit while navigating the digital world—pause before clicking, sharing, trusting or posting.

India has more than 113 million internet users below the age of 18, making children one of the country’s largest online communities. While digital platforms have opened up new opportunities for learning, creativity and social participation, children are also increasingly exposed to risks such as cyberbullying, online grooming, image-based abuse, misinformation, privacy violations and online exploitation.

The growing scale of these risks is reflected in recent crime data. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2024 report, India recorded more than one lakh cybercrime cases in 2024. Since 2017, cases of cybercrime against children have increased 20-fold, while offences related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) have risen 157-fold. Cyber blackmailing, harassment and cyberbullying have also recorded a sharp increase.

CRY said the figures highlight a changing child protection landscape, where children’s safety and wellbeing are increasingly influenced by their experiences online. Many children, however, continue to hesitate to report harmful online experiences due to fear of being blamed, punished or not believed.

Speaking at the launch, Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY – Child Rights and You, said online safety should be viewed as a child protection issue rather than merely a matter of technology or digital hygiene.

“Children today are growing up in two worlds – the physical and the digital. Just as we work to make our homes, schools and neighbourhoods safe, we must also ensure that the digital spaces children inhabit are safe, inclusive and respectful of their rights,” she said.

The campaign draws on the familiar sound of a digital notification—‘Ting Tong’—as a reminder to pause and think before taking an action online. The initiative encourages users to reflect before clicking an unfamiliar link, accepting a friend request, sharing a photograph, forwarding information or trusting unknown content.

According to CRY, the campaign aims to turn this simple pause into a regular digital habit that can help children and adults make safer choices online.

The organisation also stressed that online safety cannot be placed solely on children. Families, schools, communities, governments, technology companies, media organisations and civil society all have a role in creating a safer digital environment.

“A simple pause before we click, trust, share or post online can make an enormous difference,” Marwaha said, adding that collective action is needed to build a digital environment where every child can learn, participate and thrive safely.

Through the campaign, CRY has invited parents, teachers, students, policymakers, technology professionals and members of the wider community to participate in efforts to strengthen online safety for children.

The campaign is also aimed at building greater awareness around responsible digital behaviour as India’s internet user base continues to expand and children’s engagement with online platforms becomes an increasingly important part of everyday life.