05 November 2020
The Polite Type is the world's first font to correct hate speech and offensive words. The organization Friends will now support the Nordic digital services and software company TietoEVRY to introduce the initiative in Sweden.
“The online culture is getting tougher and it is a serious societal problem. Therefore, it is positive to see how more and more major players want to get involved in the issue. In The Polite Type campaign together with TietoEVRY, children and young people are given an opportunity to discuss the role of digitalisation and technology to stop bullying”, says Maja Frankel, General secretary of Friends.
During the Corona pandemic, young people spend more time online, which has led to an increased risk of abuse, the latest Friends report shows. Several authorities in Sweden have made recommendations to schools during the pandemic to address the increased violations.
TietoEVRY has chosen to support this important societal issue by launching a font that corrects condescending words and replaces them with more neutral alternatives. The font, which is free of charge and open to everyone, has so far been tested over 28,000 times and received a great deal of international attention when it was launched in Finland earlier this year. Together with Friends, The Polite Type will now be presented to some selected school classes in Sweden to start a discussion.
“We are very proud of our new collaboration with Friends. With common strength, we challenge hate speech and the serious consequences of cyberbullying for those affected. We hope that The Polite Type can act as an eye-opener, focusing on the online culture. Our contribution to the debate is based on our belief in the role of technology in creating a better society”, says Karin Schreil, CEO of TietoEVRY, in Sweden.
The Polite Type will be used as a part of the discussion in a series of workshops that Friends organizes in high schools in the spring of 2021. In these workshops, students will have the opportunity to discuss online culture, the importance of language and how serious consequences a single word can have.
The font The Polite type can be tested and downloaded for free here. The font is in English and can be used together with an adult or other conversation leader. TietoEVRY's commitment to the issue stems from a conviction that we can use digital solutions and tools to create a more inclusive and sustainable society. The Polite type will not, as an individual initiative, stop all online hate, but hopefully it can give a nudge in the right direction for a safer environment for children and young people, also online.
Friends is an organization that provides adults with research-based tools to prevent bullying among children and young people.
TietoEVRY creates digital advantage for businesses and society. We are a leading digital services and software company with local presence and global capabilities. Our Nordic values and heritage steer our success. Headquartered in Finland, TietoEVRY employs around 24,000 experts globally. The company serves thousands of enterprise and public sector customers in more than 90 countries. TietoEVRY’s annual turnover is approximately EUR 3 billion and its shares are listed on the NASDAQ in Helsinki and Stockholm as well as on the Oslo Børs. www.tietoevry.com
Contact:
TietoEVRY Newsdesk
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