Insafe Weekly Update

In the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy, the Commission is currently working with Member States on a common European approach to age verification. To this end, on 14 July 2025, there will be the release of the first version of an EU white-label app for age verification, which serves as a blueprint for a user-friendly and privacy-preserving age verification method for Member States and beyond. This app will enable users to easily prove they are over 18 when accessing restricted adult content online, without revealing any other personal information, such as their exact age or the users’ identity.

The information is shared under embargo with the network, as Safer Internet Centres are key partners in promoting age-appropriate experiences online. The Commission rely on the interest of the network in piloting the app, as well as on the support in disseminating the news post-embargo.

For more information, after the launch, you can reach out to CNECT-G3@ec.europa.eu.

A reminder that the current call for proposals for Safer Internet Centres will close on Tuesday, 2 September 2025 (17:00:00 CEST). All relevant information can be found on the HaDEA website.

Assessment platform submissions are now due for helplines and hotlines reporting on the second quarter of 2025 (April to June inclusive). The deadline for both helpline and hotline submissions will be the close of business on Friday, 11 July 2025. 

The Excel template for helplines is now available in the BIK community (login first). A reminder that the Good practice guide on helpline data (March 2023) can also be accessed in the BIK community. For further information, please contact Karl (helplines). 

The Excel template for hotlines is now available in the BIK community (login first). Please contact Abby (INHOPE) for any queries regarding hotline submissions. 

Please remember that these submissions must be made using the assessment platform in the new BIK community. If you encounter issues accessing the platform or need to assign reporting permissions to new or different staff members, please contact the BIK support mailbox.

An online meeting will take place on Thursday, 10 July 2025 at 11:00 CEST to showcase the VUĊI (Valuing and Understanding Children’s Impact) Toolkit, which has been developed by colleagues in Malta to measure the impact of child participation on children, adults and policymaking. Sue, who many of you know from the Maltese SIC, will present the toolkit and share some thoughts on how it can be used. You can read more about the project and access the toolkit (in English) here. Use this link to join the meeting; for further information, please contact Karl.  

We have developed a good practice guide on working with very young users. This was shared in the BIK bulletin last week and is available to download here. The guide was written by Stéphane Chaudron, and we will have an online meeting on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, at 14:00 CEST, where Stéphane will present the guide and share some key information on how to work effectively with younger users online. Use this link to join the meeting. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Karl.

Thanks to those who joined the recent early warning meeting for awareness centres; notes are now available in the BIK community (login first).

The next meeting will take place on Monday, 11 August 2025 at 11:00 CEST; use this link to join.

Please contact Karl for any further information.

Many thanks to everyone who attended the recent online meeting with Sony (PlayStation). You can find a report from the meeting in the BIK community (login first). If you need any further information, please contact Karl.

The next helpline early warning meeting will take place on Wednesday, 30 July 2025 at 11:00 CEST; join the meeting using this link. Please remember it is possible to use the Teams chat to share any information between meetings. 

Please contact Karl for any further information.

This internal good practice guide aims to support SICs in working with children and young people, teachers and educators, and parents and caregivers to ensure that children and young people understand their online rights and are encouraged to report online harm. The guide highlights key articles and provisions that SICs should be aware of, as well as sharing education and awareness-raising activities developed at EU coordination level. It also examines existing and emerging best practices from across the Insafe network. Access it from the BIK community here (login needed). Access supplementary materials linked to this good practice guide here (again, login needed).

Please note, this is an internal good practice guide for Safer Internet Centres only. Please do not circulate it beyond the network.

We would like this internal good practice guide to be a living document, and so we would encourage you to let us know if there are any activities or awareness raising that you are doing which are connected to the DSA. Please contact Karl with any information you would like to share, and we can include it. 

Please note, this item relates to wider INHOPE work, not linked to the BIK Phase 6 project. It is provided here for information purposes only. 

The European Parliament recently adopted its position on the Recast CSEA Directive, clearly demonstrating its trust in and recognition of INHOPE hotlines as key partners in the fight against child sexual abuse online. 

This important step builds on INHOPE’s recommendations to empower hotlines across Europe with clearer mandates and expanded roles. Discover the full details and what comes next in this crucial development for child online safety across the EU in the full article on the INHOPE website.

Please note, this item relates to wider INHOPE work, not linked to the BIK Phase 6 project. It is provided here for information purposes only. 

How do we stay ahead of digital crime networks? The trust and safety community has been witnessing a concerning new trend: the digital crimes threatening children don't exist in isolation. Criminal networks are increasingly interconnected, sharing tactics, infrastructures, and systematically targeting vulnerable young people using shared exploitation strategies.

The INHOPE 2025 Summit -  Connected Crime, Collective Action! – will take place on 14-15 October 2025 at Google's office in Washington DC to map these connections and develop practical disruption strategies. Learn more about the event and register here.

The June 2025 edition of the BIK bulletin has recently been published.

This edition spotlights the first evaluation of the BIK+ strategy and the latest BIK Policy monitor report. These reports assess progress toward a better internet, noting areas for continued focus based on stakeholder viewpoints. Additionally, we discuss the importance of monitoring and evaluation to ensure sound policy development, promote accountability, and build trust in governance. Also in this edition, we share our latest good practice guide on reaching and engaging with very young children for online safety and digital literacy. We also present new online safety resources and invite you to save the date for the 2025 edition of the Safer Internet Forum (SIF).

Visit the BIK portal for the bulletin archive, or subscribe to receive future editions directly. 

• How to deal with disinformation: tips from the Portuguese SIC (SIC PT)
• New family-friendly resources make the BIK+ strategy evaluation more accessible
• Latest helpline trends: Quarter 1, 2025
• Q1 2025 in review: record report volume and emerging content trends (INHOPE)
• Spotlight on the BIK booth at IGF 2025: a hub for engagement, awareness, and action

Access the full BIK news article archive here.

Please contact the BIK content mailbox with any article submissions or in case of any queries.

Reports from online meetings for awareness centres and helplines are now available in the BIK community, including:

• Sony PlayStation online meeting July 2025
• Helpline case: Associating phone numbers with other people´s Telegram profiles (SIC ES)

Please remember to login first to access any BIK community content.

Need help with the BIK platform?
Please refer to the BIK platform user guides for support with regular tasks (such as resource and helpline case study uploads).

Alternatively, we are happy to schedule short online support calls at any time. Please use the contact form on the BIK platform or contact the BIK support mailbox initially. We will then schedule a call at a mutually convenient time.

Please note the updated URLs for the new BIK platform:

• Better Internet for Kids (BIK):
  better-internet-for-kids. europa.eu; #BIK; #BIKbulletin
• BIK strategy (BIK+):
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik/bik-plus-strategy; #BIKplus
• Safer Internet Forum (SIF):
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/sif; #SIF2024; #SIF2025; #SaferInternetForum
• BIK Knowledge hub:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/knowledge-hub; #BIKPolicyMap
• BIK Youth:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik-youth; #BIKyouth; #Pledge2Youth
• Safer Internet Day (SID):
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/saferinternetday; #SaferInternetDay; #SID2025; #SID2026
• Media literacy campaign:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/media-smart-online; #MediaSmartOnline
• Child and youth consumer protection campaign:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/adwiseonline; #AdWiseOnline
• Project Facebook profiles:
  Insafe, Safer Internet Day, Insafe network closed Facebook group, INHOPE
• Project X (formerly Twitter) profiles:
  @insafenetwork; @safeinternetday; @BIK_youth; @inhope_pr
• Project LinkedIn profile:
  Better Internet for Kids