Schools, parents, and organizations can access the Meta-funded curriculum for free.
In an era where digital interactions are an integral part of growing up, Meta is taking proactive steps to ensure young users can navigate the internet safely. The tech giant has partnered with Childhelp, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting neglected and abused children, to launch a comprehensive curriculum aimed at teaching middle schoolers how to recognize and respond to online exploitation, including grooming and sextortion scams.
Empowering Kids with Knowledge and Tools
The newly developed curriculum, fully funded by Meta, is available for free to schools, parents, and organizations. Designed with input from child safety experts—including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Department of Homeland Security, the nonprofit organization Thorn, Purdue University, and the Crimes Against Children Research Center—the program features a combination of lesson plans, interactive classroom activities, and educational videos. These resources aim to help children develop the critical thinking skills needed to protect themselves in both online and offline environments.
“At Meta, we continue to do all we can to protect young people on our apps,” said Antigone Davis, Meta’s global safety head, in a press release. “Those protections will be even more effective if teens also feel confident in spotting potential harms and know where to go for help.”
Meta’s Ongoing Commitment to Child Safety
Meta has been steadily ramping up its efforts to make its platforms safer for young users. In recent years, Instagram implemented measures to protect minors by defaulting all teen accounts into more private settings and introducing new safeguards against exploitative content. Additionally, the platform has strengthened its fight against sextortion scams by implementing features such as blurring nude images sent to minors and preventing users from screenshotting disappearing photos in private messages.
Beyond its own platforms, Meta’s latest educational initiative reflects a broader industry-wide response to growing concerns about online child safety. Lawmakers are increasingly focused on regulating digital spaces to protect young users, with several pieces of legislation making their way through the U.S. Senate. These include the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0, both of which aim to strengthen protections for minors on the internet. Additionally, the recently introduced Kids Off Social Media Act proposes banning children under the age of 13 from creating social media accounts altogether. However, many of these regulations face legal challenges at the state level, underscoring the complexity of enforcing online safety laws in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
A Step in the Right Direction
By partnering with Childhelp and other child safety organizations, Meta is taking meaningful steps toward fostering a safer digital environment for young users. While technology companies continue to develop protective features within their platforms, educating children on how to recognize and handle online threats remains one of the most effective ways to combat exploitation.
With the rise of online dangers, this initiative serves as an essential resource for parents, educators, and community leaders who want to equip kids with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the internet safely. The collaboration between Meta and child safety advocates reinforces the importance of a multi-faceted approach—one that combines technology, education, and legislation—to create a more secure online space for the next generation.
Access the Curriculum
The online safety curriculum is available for free to anyone interested in implementing it. Schools, parents, and organizations can access these resources to educate children on digital safety and empower them with the skills they need to protect themselves online.
As the internet continues to evolve, initiatives like this play a crucial role in keeping young users safe while ensuring they can benefit from all the positive aspects of the digital world. By equipping kids with knowledge and awareness, Meta and its partners are helping to build a safer, more informed online community.
