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Yahoo! Maktoob launches program to educate children on online safety

Yahoo! Safety Oasis engages children, parents and educators in collaborative effort to share digital safety resources
Dubai, UAE, 19^th December 2010- Yahoo! Maktoob has announced the launch of a new innovative online program entitled Yahoo! Safety Oasis (http://esafe.yahoo.com/), aimed at engaging families and educators in providing support resources that educate, entertain and reward children about the incredible potentials for online learning, as well as how to safely surf the net through enhanced digital literacy.

Online traffic is increasing globally and across the Middle East, however, awareness of online safety issues is still relatively low in the region. As such, Yahoo! Maktoob 's new campaign will stand out from other programs by linking back to a tangible learning curricula focused on public education for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old.

Yahoo! Safety Oasis will educate children about how to properly surf the net and protect their personal privacy through attractive online "edu-tainment" activities. In addition, the campaign will increase parental knowledge of Internet safety and support those in the field of education to provide resources and training for youth engagement.

"Parents and educators often face a dilemma of balancing children's natural curiosity with an understanding of and protection against online threats," comments Andy Abbar, Yahoo! Maktoob head of product marketing and management for the Middle East. "Because younger generations are always the quickest to use new technology, it's important to reach out to youngsters as early as possible. It is with this in mind that we are building the foundation of Yahoo! Safety Oasis platform for individual markets and the different youth consumers within them."

The initial series of edutainment courses are offered through a number of Yahoo! Maktoob channels (e.g. Kids, Games, Family links) which present the Internet in a fun format that youngsters can easily relate to. In explaining the importance of Internet safety, relevant examples, stories, puzzles and quizzes are used to engage young audiences in the spirit of learning. This includes guidelines for safe emailing and chatting, with children being rewarded with a Safety Certificate upon completion of the program.

In a survey done by Yahoo! earlier this year, 78% of parents said they are concerned about their children's online safety. Additionally, the company found that 65% of people do not know or are not sure what a digital footprint is, and 31% do not feel they are in control of their online image. Nevertheless, nearly 75% of parents want their child's school to play an active role in teaching kids about online safety and citizenship.

"Online safety is a priority for Yahoo! and we are determined to help parents, educators and children safeguard themselves and create positive and productive web experiences," adds Catherine Teitelbaum, Yahoo!'s director of child safety and product policy. "The Yahoo! Oasis program is part of our broader global online safety efforts, and is a showcase example of how Yahoo! is providing relevant, local guidance to help keep our users safer online."

Abbar says that the company's future aim is to widen the program's scope to include all consumer ages and demographics, taking the idea to a global level.

Yahoo! Safety Oasis compliments Yahoo! Safely (safely.yahoo.com), the online safety site available in 27 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America, which informs parents, educators and teens on making smart and safer choices online.

To learn more about enjoying a safer online experience, users can visit the Yahoo! Safety Oasis (http://esafe.yahoo.com/) or go to the Yahoo! Maktoob homepage (http://maktoob.yahoo.com) and search for "yahoo online safety" for further details.

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About Yahoo! Middle East
Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) is an innovative technology company that operates the largest digital media, content, and communications business in the world. Yahoo! keeps more than half a billion consumers worldwide connected to what matters to them most, and delivers powerful audience solutions to advertisers through its unique combination of Science + Art + Scale. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit http://maktoob.yahoo.com or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal (http://ycorpblog.com/).

For more information, please contact:
Carine Sader
Ogilvy Public Relations
E: carine.sader@ogilvy.com
T: +971 4 3050259

© Press Release 2010