Bahrain Joins Interpol Database to Combat Online Child Exploitation

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The Cyberspace Child Protection Unit of the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security has joined Interpol's international database on the sexual exploitation of children via the Internet.

Brigadier General Bassam Mohammed Al Miraj, Director-General of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security, announced that joining the database aligns with directives from His Excellency General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior. The initiative reflects efforts to benefit from regional and international expertise in protecting children in digital spaces, with ongoing oversight by His Excellency Chief of Public Security, Lieutenant-General Tariq Al Hassan.

He highlighted that the unit’s integration into the database is part of Bahrain’s national strategy for child protection in cyberspace. This strategy, recently launched by the Kingdom, aims to shield children from online dangers and raise awareness about these threats. It also seeks to establish and promote appropriate behaviour when encountering such risks, including communication with relevant authorities.

The Director-General added that several unit members completed a training course on this system, held at Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, France. The 14-day course included training in reconnaissance, data downloading, and result analysis related to online sexual exploitation of children.

The database aims to assist specialists in addressing cases of sexual and digital exploitation of children, facilitating information and experience sharing among member states to tackle these issues more effectively. This move also represents an expansion of the Interpol databases that Bahrain has joined, through its International Affairs and Interpol administration, to combat various types of transcontinental crimes.