Working together for a better internet
Every year, more than 100 countries around the world celebrate Safer Internet Day, a global effort to help people use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively — especially children and young people.
At Gen, digital freedom is at the core of what we do. Helping people stay safe online through education and training is a key pillar of our social impact strategy. We partner with nonprofits across the globe to equip families, educators and young people with the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex digital world with confidence. As technology evolves, we regularly update our resources to reflect emerging platforms, technologies such as AI, and changing behaviors. Together with our partners, we are strengthening digital resilience, safeguarding personal information and advancing digital literacy at scale.
Empowering families to talk about digital safety
Parents and caregivers play a critical role in shaping healthy digital habits. That’s why National PTA and Norton, one of our trusted Cyber Safety brands, developed The Smart Talk. This free resource helps families start open, positive conversations about online safety and privacy. Through guided prompts and practical tips, The Smart Talk supports families in setting boundaries, understanding risks and building trust together. Since launch, more than 20,000 people have accessed The Smart Talk.
It is a featured resource in National PTA’s Safer Internet Day toolkit, which also includes a live conversation on digital parenting, teen-focused tip sheets and resources on mental health and belonging. The Smart Talk is also a signature offering of PTA Connected, an initiative designed to create judgment-free spaces where families can learn about digital safety with guidance from expert resources. Norton is the Founding and Presenting Sponsor of PTA Connected and, in 2025, sponsored grants for 20 local PTAs, enabling them to host digital safety workshops in their school communities.
Bringing digital safety into the classroom
We also work with our partners to get digital safety resources into the hands of educators. Since 2023, Norton has worked with Discovery Education on My Digital Life, a multilingual platform offering digital safety activities and lesson plans for children in grades three through eight. In 2025, we introduced new AI literacy content, expanded the program into schools across the UK and added Spanish, Arabic, French and German translations. Discovery Education estimates the program has now reached nearly 490,000 students with essential digital safety skills.
Gen also supports Discovery Education’s Digital Citizenship Initiative, which promotes respectful and responsible online behavior. Since launching in February 2025, the initiative has reached more than 647,000 students through videos, classroom tools, lesson plans and educator resources focused on AI literacy, media literacy and the cognitive impacts of technology.
Advancing digital safety around the world
Our global partnerships reflect the unique digital safety needs of communities worldwide. These include the following:
- World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has reached nearly 113,000 children and young people globally through Surf Smart 2.0 digital education programming between July 2024 and December 2025. Check out our Safer Internet Day video with WAGGGS, announcing the organization’s new advocacy curriculum and featuring Smart Surfers talking about some of the best digital safety tips they have learned on their Surf Smart 2.0 journeys.
- Save the Children – India (Bal Raksha Bharat) has delivered digital skills training across 190 schools over the past four years, supporting students and educators with safe and responsible technology use.
- With The Trevor Project, we created the Online Safety Guide for LGBTQ+ Young People and continue to support and scale TrevorSpace, a moderated, AI-supported global peer community for LGBTQ+ young people.
This Safer Internet Day, we’re excited to celebrate with our partners and communities around the world. To learn more about our digital education and training efforts, explore our latest Social Impact Report.
These grants were awarded from the Gen Foundation, a corporate-advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
