Conroy's Big Red Help button comes to iOS, Android

By John Hilvert on Mar 3, 2011 12:40 PM
Filed under Security

Yes, there's an app for that.

The Federal Government has commissioned the development of iPad, iPhone and Android apps for its cybersafety help button, as well as a plugin for internet browsers.

Abul Rizvi, deputy secretary of the Department of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Economy’s (DBCDE) said the software - already available as a free download - will be available free of charge in app stores or built into browsers from the second half of this year.

Rizvi informed the Joint Committee on Cybersafety today that DBCDE had commenced work on the second stage of the help button.

“This includes a button for mobile applications such as Android and Apple iPhones and iPads. Also at browser levels it will be available to Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and FireFox so users can download the help button as a tab on their toolbars,” he said.

The button was initially developed by Saltbush Group, a Canberra-based security company, reportedly for about $73,000.

The first version of the Help Button relied on Flash software, which posed difficulties for iPad users whose devices did not readily support flash-based applications.

Launched on 7 December, 2010 in response to requests from the Youth Advisory Group on Cybersafety, The Department sees the help button as one-stop shop on cybersafety information and assistance.

“It provides internet users - particularly children and young people but also parents and teachers - with easy online access to a wide range of resources to help with cyberbullying, unwanted contacts, scams and fraud and inappropriate material,” Risvi said.

He revealed that the Queensland Education Department had downloaded the button for its entire school network.

“This makes it available to 177,000 users,” he said.

“We are encouraging other school systems to do likewise and we are also encouraging libraries to do likewise.”

Downloads by individuals continues to increase. One download may see the button installed on many more systems and multiple sites.

Chair of the Cybersafety Committee Senator Dana Wortley commended the Department on how easy it was to install and use the button.

Asked to estimate how many times the button had been downloaded, Rizvi said that “at least 200,000 buttons exist on a range of computers around Australia.”

“That has been predominantly as a result of initiatives undertaken by the Queensland Department of Education,” he said.

The bigger challenge will be getting to parents, he said. The Department hopes teacher and parents advisory groups will improve the awareness of the button to parents.

Senator Wortley told iTnews the Joint Committee on Cybersafety would issue an interim report of its findings with recommendations on a range of issues including cyberbullying, education resources and parental aids towards the end of June 2011.

Image of installation screen for help button from DBCDE site

7 comments in this discussion

"Big red button - 177,000 POSSIBLE downloads Fart button - several million ACTUALL downloads The cards are stacked against you, Conboy!"

By bcmobile

Tags

cybersafety, help button, dbcde, abul rizvi, saltbush consulting, pressgallery

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Comments: 7

davydp Mar 3, 2011 3:05 PM	does this mean we get forced to install software and pre-installed with no uninstall option?
brownbear Mar 3, 2011 3:26 PM	Just what everyone needs a big red button which tells you to call the police, talk to a responsible adult or gives you a link to some where else you can get advise if you think that something is not right and it is upsetting you. If they had half a brain DBCDE would create a link to a dedicated twitter # for instant gratification of the disturbed's counseling needs. Could some one please explain to me why the disturbing experiences that every young person experiences in growing up should suddenly become more important and different when it happens in the internet age? When I was growing up we didn't have the internet or mobile phones yet I and all my friends were subjected to harassment of one sort or another for various periods of time. We used to deal with it by talking to our mates our other family members our teachers or other adults that we respected. We certainly didn't need a big red bell to let someone know we needed help or a big red card with a list of people we could talk to if we needed help. We were taught by our parents and by our teachers and naturally by our mates who it was we could talk to about our problem. Oh that's right Senator Conroy and DBCDE don't believe that parents know how to raise their children any more. It's the digital age you know. It changes everything.
BaysNet Mar 3, 2011 3:37 PM	The help button is all a big in joke about Conroy really isn't it? It couldn't be for real that the Government has spent our hard earned on this absolute stupidity.
midspace Mar 3, 2011 3:41 PM	@brownbear It's probably aimed at all those edge cases. Children who DON'T have anyone to talk to discuss issues, or are too afraid to talk to anyone they know for fear of reprisal or getting found out.
BrettWinterford Mar 3, 2011 4:10 PM	@brownbear - I have always been perplexed by the 'cyber-bullying' thing myself. So a few months back I asked some folks at ReachOut, and got a pretty decent answer. In my youth, if I were bullied at school, I could retreat to the comfort of home or my life outside of school. In the cyber age, bullying follows you - as long as you are connected, you can be harassed. I guess that's the distinction. That said I seriously doubt the big red button - or any such projects - can make much of a dent in such societal problems.
Ace Mar 3, 2011 4:12 PM	You mean, the 'edge cases' where children have iPhones and iPads @midspace? Persnally I'm releived to finally have matching red buttons on my GalaxyS, iPhone and iMac to match the one I have on my Windows machine. Here's hoping a Linux version is avalable soon to complete the circle-of-trust.
bcmobile Mar 3, 2011 8:37 PM	Big red button - 177,000 POSSIBLE downloads Fart button - several million ACTUALL downloads The cards are stacked against you, Conboy!