Better Internet for Kids

In 2020, the Maltese helpline 179 received over 500 phone calls and around 700 calls during 2021, all of which were related to online safety concerns. This led to the launching of the seventh edition of the BeSmartOnline! project, which protects children when they are online and provides more awareness and guidance to parents and educators to better tackle online safety issues of young people.

The BIK+ strategy aims to promote the digital empowerment of children and young people, and France wanted to affirm its alignment with the European policy by proposing a SID 2023 campaign committed to this specific principle.

On the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2023, the Swedish Safer Internet Centre highlighted the digital reality of children and young people today and, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, looked at how you can successfully work to promote their rights in the place where a large part of their daily lives takes place. The aim was to provide increased knowledge to guardians and professionals who address children and young people as part of their work.

BeSmartOnline!, part of the Maltese Safer Internet Centre, provides information and tips on how to keep children and young people safe online. It just launched a new project phase co-funded by EU − Digital Europe.

The internet is very popular with everyone, and in particular with the younger generation. It offers an array of opportunities; from doing online research, to following news and for entertainment. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an essential tool for communication, on several occasions it was the only way that children could keep in touch with their peers and families.

The Maltese Safer Internet Centre shares useful resources for teachers of the Personal, Social and Career Development (PSCD) department. The resources were published on occasion of Safer Internet Day 2022, but can be benefitted from all year long.

Safer Internet Day is observed every year on the second day (Tuesday) of the second week of February with the aim of working towards a safer and better internet, where every user gets to use the internet responsibly and without getting their data leaked. The day is being celebrated in over 150 countries across the world.

The Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, through the Portuguese Institute for Sports and Youth (IPDJ) and in cooperation with the National Federation of Youth Associations (FNAJ), organised a cycle of training activities on the topic of “Democracy and digitalisation: opportunities and challenges”.

High school students’ answers to a flash quiz suggest knowledge gaps regarding social networks and searching for information. This event occurred in the two Portuguese main fairs on education, work, and training. It was co-organised with the Portuguese Institute for Sports and Youth and actively involved young volunteers. Further collaboration with national stakeholders, young ambassadors and informal spaces could improve working digital skills in adolescents.

In recent months, the BEE SECURE Helpline has observed an increase in cases of sextortion, particularly involving young internet users. Sexual extortion, also known as sextortion, is a form of blackmail using sexually explicit material, such as private/intimate photos, videos).