Better Internet for Kids

A significant step forward for child protection in Macedonia occurred as the first children’s embassy in the world (Megjashi) has officially received the decision from the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC) to operate the European child helpline number 116 111 for the first time in the country. Technical implementation is now underway.

Child Focus deals with six new cases of missing minors every day. Five times a day, this involves a young person who has run away. In 2024, Child Focus handled 542 cases of minors who were sexually exploited (non-consensual sexting, grooming, sextortion, sexual exploitation in prostitution). All these difficult situations have one thing in common: the child or young person had no one to turn to.

While online scams are not a new phenomenon, their level of sophistication has increased significantly in recent years. The Irish Safer Internet Centre shares tips for parents and caregivers.

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.

The new TOZI app supports safer and kinder online experiences by offering tools, guidance, and expert help to navigate harassment, cyberbullying, and overall online wellbeing for young people.

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.