A public forum on digital privacy, aimed at parents and young social media users, will take place next Monday in the Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire.

It is the latest in a series of forums in Cork, organised by Dara Murphy, Minister for Data Protection and European Affairs, aimed to inform families about the need to protect their digital footprint, and to better understand social media trends and online communities.

The forum will help empower parents to safeguard their digital privacy through greater educational awareness and practical tips about challenging irresponsible online behaviour.

The speaker panel will feature leading social media expert, Tony McCarthy, founder of Adapptise, who will be sharing advice on protecting your digital privacy and safeguarding your online reputation; along with former Cork detective, John Dwyer, who is now a leading spokesperson at combat cyber-bullying charity Bully 4 U.

Parents attending will also have an opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance from the guest speakers, including from Ian Power of SpunOut.ie, a leading youth information website, with 100,000 monthly readers and Joanne Sweeney-Burke, Webiket-Young Minds Online.Minister for European Affairs, Dara Murphy, said: “Ireland has been an early adopter of new social media and mobile trends, with almost every household now having multiple mobile devices. The popularity of smartphones amongst all age groups, together with the global reach of social media communities, creates new challenges in terms of digital privacy and online safety. However vulnerable young users on social media also need to be protected.”The event takes place on Monday 29 June from 10am-12.30pm in Vienna Woods and a final event in this series will be held on 3 July in the Muskerry Arms from 11am-12.30pm.