Comcast and the Internet Keep Safe Coalition Partner to Promote Safe and Responsible Internet Use
"iKeepSafeTM with Comcast" to Provide Parents, Teachers and Caregivers with Tips, Tools and Resources to Promote Cyber Safety Awareness
Washington, D.C. - December 6, 2007 — Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSK, CMCSA), the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, and the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, a national non-profit organization committed to Internet safety, today announced the creation of a new partnership to help promote cyber safety awareness. Working together, the two organizations will promote programs designed to give parents, teachers and caregivers the ability to equip children and teens with skills and behaviors that strike a healthy balance in their on- and offline worlds. Comcast and iKeepSafeTM announced their partnership at the Family Online Safety Institute's (FOSI) Conference and Exhibition, entitled "Rights and Responsibility: Child Protection in a Web 2.0 World."
"iKeepSafeTM with Comcast" is a national initiative that will promote cyber safety awareness in local communities. Comcast and iKeepSafe will partner with state attorneys general, local community groups, including Reading is Fundamental and D.A.R.E, and with medical and public heath organizations like the American Medical Association. Comcast, the nation's leading residential broadband Internet provider, joins a coalition that includes 48 governors, First Ladies, state attorneys general, law enforcement agencies and other corporate sponsors, all dedicated to educating young people how to make safe and responsible decisions online.
According to Joe Waz, Vice President of External Affairs at Comcast, who will be speaking at the FOSI Conference, "The Internet is a great place that can bring people and communities closer together, but we also want to make sure that young people grow up knowing how to use the Internet safely and responsibly. Our partnership with iKeepSafeTM will help to provide tools and resources for individuals, families and caregivers to protect themselves, their children and their digital assets. Working together, Comcast, iKeepSafeTM and its coalition members will be able to spread the message of online safety better than if we each tried to do it on our own. "
"The Internet Keep Safe Coalition brings together a breadth of leading advocacy organizations with a common goal of achieving safer, healthier habits of youth on the Internet addressing issues such as cyberbullying and cyberethics," said Marsali Hancock, President of the Coalition. "We are grateful to have Comcast join us as another committed partner who will help us to deliver the message of safe and healthy Internet use to children and communities."
Resources for parents and educators are available online at the Internet Keep Safe Coalition's Web site at www.iKeepSafe.org. The Web site also houses animated pieces for children using the Faux Paw the Techno CatTM series of children's books and animated films to teach the importance of protecting personal information and avoiding inappropriate places on the Internet. Online tutorials and educational resources for teachers and parents covering topics such as social networking, cyberbullying and general tips about how to keep kids safe online are also available as part of the curriculum. These iKeepSafeTM materials will be available on Comcast's web site, www.comcast.net/security, beginning in 2008.
Comcast also offers a comprehensive Security Channel on its award-winning consumer portal, Comcast.net. The Comcast Security Channel serves as an online resource to help customers protect themselves from spam, viruses and other online threats. In addition, customers can learn about online parental controls that can help protect their children from cyberbullying, harassment and online predators as well as how to report online safety issues or contact our Security Assurance Team for assistance. Comcast High-Speed Internet customers can also download a free copy of the highly acclaimed McAfee Internet Security Suite (a $120 value) that includes McAfee® VirusScan®, McAfee®Personal Firewall Plus and McAfee® Privacy Service (with Parental Controls). The service also provides a free Toolbar with spyware detection and removal, a pop-up blocker and anti-phishing software.
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