Better Internet for Kids

For the second year in a row, A1 Croatia and Safer Internet Centre Croatia brought together international experts in cybersecurity and child protection at the CyberGuard 2025 Conference, held last year in October. With the support of relevant institutions, experts opened a discussion on protection and responsible online behaviour in light of the growing number of online threats.

The Safer Internet Forum (SIF) 2025 took place on Thursday, 4 December 2025 in a hybrid format. This year’s forum explored the theme: “Why age matters: Protecting and empowering youth in the digital age.”.

Safer Internet Day will be celebrated in February 2026, with events and activities taking place throughout the entire month across Europe and around the world, and a global day of celebration on Tuesday, 10 February.

The Better Internet for Kids Hotline Observatory has published its findings for July to September 2025, drawing on data submitted by 28 EU co-funded hotlines. Hotlines continued to support implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) while responding to high volumes of public reports and working closely with law enforcement and industry partners.

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the calls received, and this is analysed every three months in order to look at possible trends and emerging issues.

Do your children and teenagers spend time on social media, watching videos, or playing online? Are you up to date with the changes that the Digital Services Act (DSA) will bring to protect minors in the digital environment? The campaign DSAforYOUth – Protecting minors by design may be of interest to you, as a parent or caregiver, to understand the new measures in a clear and simple way.

October and November marked a powerful season of action for the Croatian Safer Internet Centre, bringing three major conferences to Zagreb, Osijek and Split, each reinforcing the same message: protecting children in the digital environment requires continuous education, strong partnerships, and a society that refuses to look away.

France has introduced pioneering measures to protect children online, from regulating child influencers and parental sharing, to proposing a minimum age for social media access. To enhance the visibility of ARCOM’s regulatory work and its cooperation within the Insafe network, the French awareness centre Internet Sans Crainte (ISC), joined the Polish Safer Internet Centre at NASK’s international conference in Warsaw. The joint session explored how France’s initiatives are being implemented, and what they mean for schools, parents, and digital literacy education.

On Safer Internet Day 2026, the Austrian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) will once again draw attention to online safety issues and encourage participation in this day of global celebrations. Activities organised by the SIC to mark the 23rd Safer Internet Day include Safer Internet Month celebrations in February in Austria, the social wall, a digital lesson, and the annual symposium.

What do young people see as the biggest risks when they are online? What tips would they give other young people on how to deal with the various challenges they face online? Several interviews and workshops with participants of the klicksafe Youth Panel have resulted in a comprehensive guide with tips from young people on topics such as cyberbullying, excessive media use, hate speech, and dealing with AI. The new information brochure is now available to download and order.