Forum Selects Youth Digital Ombudsman's Team

The Youth Internet Governance Forum determined the composition of the Youth digital ombudsman's team. Its finalist is Dmitry Gulyaev, a student of the International Law Institute, Kutafin Moscow State Law University. Irina Trapeznikova, a student of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and Alexei Starikov, a student of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MGIMO MFA), were also selected for the ombudsman's team. All of the candidates prepared a detailed and interesting program on the first steps they will take in their new capacity. They also made a presentation of their program at the opening of the Forum.

After the presentation, the candidates for the position of Youth Digital Ombudsman answered questions from the presenter and Forum participants. The participants asked them about specific measures to combat cyberbullying and were interested in the topic of the digital revolution and its impact on modern life. The questions and topics that preoccupied the young people showed the timeliness of the idea of establishing the post of the Youth Digital Ombudsman.

The very idea to establish this post was conceived in order to give young people an opportunity to have a permanent dialogue with their representative. There are quite a few state and public projects in Russia aimed at protecting young people and teenagers from Internet risks. However, they are not always known to a user who is not immersed in digital topics. The ombudsman is expected to help coordinate these initiatives, to be in constant interaction with young people, state agencies, and representatives of NGOs, acting as a link and establishing their communication. At the same time, the Ombudsman is called upon not only to accumulate, but also to disseminate useful knowledge in an accessible form.