The year 2019 has been a busy one for BIK and #SaferInternet4EU, with a wealth of activities and events organised, as well as many success stories. 

The year began with the 2019 edition of Safer Internet Day, taking place in February, which also marked the one year anniversary of the #SaferInternet4EU campaign as previously launched by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel (Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society under President Junker's mandate).

In March, the European Commission initiated the first European Media Literacy Week to underline the societal importance of media literacy. Better Internet for Kids and the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centre (SICs) supported the campaign, using it as an opportunity to showcase the work of SICs in promoting media literacy to children and young people through educational resources and awareness videos.

In April 2019, Commissioners Věra Jourová (Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality under President Junker's mandate) and Mariya Gabriel launched the #DigitalRespect4Her campaign along with Members of the European Parliament, including the former President Antonio Tajani. This campaign aimed to raise awareness of the violence that women face online on a daily basis. The challenges presented by the #DigitalRespect4Her campaign were picked up throughout 2019 under the BIK and #SaferInternet4EU umbrella, and indeed became the key focus of the 2019 edition of the Safer Internet Forum 

September 2019 was designated Positive Online Content Awareness Month, placing a spotlight on the importance of positive online content: what it is, why it is necessary, how children (aged 0-12) can benefit from it, and how its production and mainstreaming can be facilitated to reach as many users as possible.

In November 2019, the yearly BIK Youth Panel took place in Brussels, followed on the next day by the Safer Internet Forum (SIF), with a theme of "From online violence to digital respect". More than 270 stakeholders from approximately 40 countries worldwide were in attendance to discuss the challenges and possible solutions in more depth.  Also in 2019, the EC funded INHOPE marked 20 years as the leading global organisation that fights child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The occasion was commemorated with a special deep dive session, INHOPE@20, at the Safer Internet Forum.

Discover more by browsing through the full report below.