South African digital safety organisation Online Safety Lab (OS Lab) has partnered with US-based ChildSafe.dev to deploy an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered child safeguarding platform across schools and homes.
According to a statement, the partnership will see the deployment of RoseShield, a system-level AI platform designed to help protect children from online risks, such as cyber-bullying, sextortion, harmful content exposure and unsafe digital communications.
The initiative comes as SA faces growing online safety challenges among young internet users. Citing the 2023 Disrupting Harm in South Africa study by ECPAT, in collaboration with Interpol and UNICEF, the partners note that 89% of children aged 12 to 17 are online, one in three has experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse, and 41% have never received any form of online safety guidance.
Unlike traditional content-filtering tools or device-based parental control software, RoseShield is deployed at the network level within schools, allowing all devices connected to a school's internet gateway to benefit from protection without requiring software installation on individual devices.
The platform is also being made available to parents for use at home and will extend to Shield Connect, a protected text and video messaging platform developed by ChildSafe.dev.
ChildSafe.dev develops RoseShield and related safeguarding technologies for schools, non-profit organisations and child protection bodies globally.
Dr Mashilo Boloka, CEO of OS Lab, says the agreement represents a significant step in advancing online child protection efforts in SA.
“For us at OS Lab, this is more than a partnership – it is a concomitant mission of creating a safer online environment. The tech solution carried by this partnership will strengthen OS Lab’s Digital Safety Programme across its pillars, particularly Online Safety in Schools and Digital Parenting, without compromising the users’ privacy and data.
“Nothing leaves the device. We are looking forward to partnering with schools, both private and public, in rolling this programme out.”
Online Safety Lab, headquartered in Centurion, focuses on digital safety education, advocacy and technology programmes aimed at children, families and communities.
According to the partners, RoseShield detects online threats across multiple South African languages while processing personal content locally on devices. This approach is intended to minimise data transfers and address privacy concerns that have often slowed the adoption of digital safeguarding technologies in educational environments.
The rollout will target both private and public schools, with school administrators able to engage directly with Online Safety Lab to implement the technology.
The organisations say the initiative is aligned with South African child protection and privacy legislation, including the Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the Protection of Personal Information Act. It also complements the regulatory framework governing online content administered by the Film and Publication Board.
The announcement comes amid increasing demand from schools, governing bodies and parents for digital safeguarding tools tailored to the realities of South African educational environments rather than solutions developed primarily for international markets.
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