Insafe Weekly Update

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the Insafe-INHOPE joint training meeting in Warsaw, Poland, this week. The training meeting booklet, which contains the agenda and information about speakers and sessions, is available in the BIK community here (login first); please note that there have been some slight tweaks to session timings over what was shared in the emailed version. However, there are no changes to start and finish times on each of the days.

A reminder also that the Insafe Steering Committee will meet on Friday, 19 April 2024 from 09:00 – 12:00 CEST. Preparatory documents were shared via email last week.

In case of questions on any aspect of the joint training meeting, please contact Karl. If you have questions regarding the Insafe Steering Committee meeting, please contact Rima.

Thanks to all who voted in the previous round of the resource competition. A reminder that the most popular resource proposals will be showcased during the Insafe-INHOPE joint training meeting on Wednesday, following which participants will vote for their favourite. We'll update you on the winner next week.

In case of queries regarding any aspect of the resource competition, please contact Karl or Annarita.

Democracy is about making sure that everyone’s voice counts and is heard when governments make decisions. For democracy to work, there should be free and open discussions based on true information. For children and teenagers, this means that they have the right to express their views and opinions on matters that affect them.

Participation can mean different things: for example, voting is an important aspect of participation, but it could also be answering a survey, signing a petition or going to a meeting. Participation could also be taking action to improve schools, better street lighting, raising awareness about mental health, or taking climate change action.

The EU Children's Participation Platform is currently running a democracy survey. Aimed at young people who are EU citizens or living in an EU country and aged 17 or younger, the survey aims to gather youth views on democratic participation, what young people think works well, what type of changes are needed, and to gather personal experiences. The survey is available in all official languages of the EU; the deadline for responses has been extended until the end of April 2024.

Further information can also be found in the newsletter of the EU Children’s Participation Platform: Democracy and you! (March 2024).

Safer Internet Centres are encouraged to disseminate the information through their own networks and contacts.

The next meeting of the helpline early warning group will take place on Tuesday, 23 April 2024 at 11:00 CEST. Use this link to join the meeting; for further information, please contact Karl.

This new good practice guide focuses on how Safer Internet Centres (SICs), European Consumer Centres (ECCs), and other organisations concerned with children’s and young people’s safer internet use can create, pilot-test, and evaluate their online safety interventions and campaigns in an evidence-based manner. The guide was developed based on a brief survey conducted last year to determine the extent to which SICs, and particularly their awareness centres, already adopt evidence-based practices - thanks again to all who responded.

SICs sometimes have limited resources and time for preparing and pre-testing communication campaigns and conducting impact research. Therefore, this guide offers a practical step-by-step approach so they can create more evidence-based outputs on their own or in collaboration with partners. This guide is created in a modular way to allow readers to pick and choose from a range of practical guidance and insightful resources that match their existing expertise and associated additional information needs. It consists of several sections, starting with a literature review that explores and defines the term ‘evidence-based’ and how it can be implicated in developing campaigns and interventions. In addition, it outlines various models and techniques for developing evidence-based practices. These are then discussed in more depth, followed by the outline of a step-by-step approach based on the Intervention Mapping Protocol (IMP). Finally, a conclusion summarises the key insights.
 
In addition, the guide contains various key terms, which are explained throughout and drawn together in the form of a lexicon annex. To provide more depth to specific sections, ‘info boxes’ can be found throughout the guide which discuss theories, techniques, and concrete examples more extensively.

Read or download the good practice guide here. In case of questions regarding this guide, please contact Valentina.

To help SIC colleagues explore and use the good practice guide further, an online meeting will take place on Thursday, 25 April 2024 at 11:00 CEST (with an anticipated finish time of 12:30 CEST). During the meeting, the author of the guide, Michel Walrave, PhD, Professor at the University of Antwerp (Department of Communication Studies), will give further insights into the value of evidence-based campaigning. Use this link to join. 

This event is funded by the European Commission as part of the Better Internet for Kids Programme under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL).

This focus group, taking place online on Tuesday, 30 April 2024 from 10:00 – 16:30 CEST, will explore the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the procedures and roles associated with becoming Trusted Flaggers under the Act. It will outline the new regulatory requirements and provide a platform for experience sharing on the trusted flagger application process and the collaboration status between industry, Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), and the INHOPE/Insafe networks. Find out more and register to attend on the INHOPE website.

This meeting is intended for INHOPE hotlines and Insafe helplines interested in applying for trusted flagger status, as well as industry operating in the EU and national Digital Services Coordinators.

Please note: all registrations are subject to approval. Registrations close on Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 17:00 CEST.

Please note, the two following items relate to wider INHOPE work. These are not part of the BIK Phase 5 project and are provided here for information purposes only.

The Data Exchange and Intelligence Forum under Project CPORT

On Wednesday, 8 May 2024, the Forum, funded by the European Commission under Project CPORT, will bring together stakeholders to share knowledge and experience, learn about the latest developments in child online safety, and discuss what each of us can do to optimise the joint fight against child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Join INHOPE to learn about the next steps for the ICCAM eco-system and how to navigate through regulations ensuring correct information exchange.  This is an in-person event, taking place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Advance registration is essential.

Find more about the CPORT Forum here. 

The AviaTor Forum in Brussels: Reshaping the reporting workflow of law enforcement agencies in tackling CSAM

What is needed to reshape the workflow of law enforcement who are processing the continuously growing number of NCMEC reports? At this year’s AviaTor Forum, taking place in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, 26 June 2024, INHOPE aims to answer that question by focusing on innovation, legislation, and cooperation. Law enforcement, industry, legislators, trust and safety teams, tech, academics, NGOs and hotline analysts are invited to register for this in-person event. Advance registration is essential.

Find more about the AviaTor Forum here. 

This year, the annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will take place from 15-19 December 2024 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As in previous years, Insafe is planning to submit a set of session proposals to run at the event, in addition to hosting a promotional booth to promote SID activities, among other activities. As the submission deadline for session proposals is 30 April 2024 (23:59 UTC), we invite colleagues to let us know by the close of business on Monday, 22 April 2024 if you are interested in supporting the proposal writing and willing to join this year’s Insafe delegation at the IGF. The Insafe Coordination Team is able to support the efforts of the Insafe delegation with a fixed lump sum that will be equally divided among the delegation (EU co-funded SICs only). Please contact Sabrina with any further questions or expressions of interest. 

Launched on Safer Internet Day 2024, the AdWiseOnline campaign on child and youth consumer protection in digital environments aims to raise awareness about manipulative digital marketing practices. The main objective of the campaign is to enhance young people's understanding of digital marketing and online advertising, and empower them with knowledge about their online rights as young consumers. 

Within this campaign, we are producing awareness-raising materials that are designed to simplify the complex terminology of digital marketing and the legal framework of consumer rights. These materials provide young people with a clear understanding of their rights, ensuring that they are equipped to navigate the digital world responsibly and safely.  

Visit the AdWiseOnline campaign page to find: 

• AdWiseOnline guide to outsmarting unwanted ads and marketing traps.
• AdWiseOnline video that was designed for young people to spot subtle marketing traps.
• The research report on manipulative marketing practice in digital environments.

Read more about the hidden costs of platforms and responsibilities of companies and content creators in the recently published article on the BIK portal.  

In case of any questions about the AdWiseOnline campaign or suggestions and ideas for collaboration, please contact Inna.

Please note, this first edition of the campaign is an internal pilot being rolled out in cooperation with a subset of Safer Internet Centres and European Consumer Centres (ECCs), in collaboration with a campaign Task Force. Following evaluation, it will be scaled for fuller rollout in 2025, but SICs are already invited to use and disseminate the campaign's resources and messages. 

The new #MediaSmartOnline campaign launched on 8 March 2024 in three European countries: the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Poland. The campaign aims to raise awareness about all the media literacy actions and initiatives that are currently available for children and young people, and those who are working to upskill them (parents and caregivers, teachers, and educators). It is rolled out in cooperation with the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres and the Media & Learning Association.

The campaign is first undergoing a pilot test phase in these three European countries and will then scale for full rollout next year. However, SICs are already welcome to use and disseminate the campaign's resources and messages.

Discover more about the campaign on the BIK portal. You can read the results of the mapping exercise of the current EU landscape of media literacy initiatives here.

In addition, we are currently publishing focus articles on the BIK portal addressing some of the key concerns around media literacy: read the articles on artificial intelligence (AI), virtual worlds, the rising importance of disinformation in media literacy, and media literacy in the fight against online hate speech; others will follow shortly.

Is there a particular media literacy initiative that you would like to be featured in the campaign? Please contact Annarita.

Please note, this first edition of the campaign is an internal pilot being rolled out in cooperation with a subset of Safer Internet Centres. Following evaluation, it will be further developed and scaled for a fuller rollout in 2025. More information will follow in the coming months. 

European Youth Week (EYW) continues, concluding this Friday, 19 April 2024. Visit the European Youth Portal for the latest news on the events of the week. 

Last week, on Friday, 12 April 2024, Better Internet for Kids hosted a youth-led session, in collaboration with the Publications Office of the EU, titled Check your facts! The power of digital skills, critical thinking and open data. An article will follow on the BIK portal soon.

Save the date for the next BIK Teacher corner webinar on Disinformation and fake news on Thursday, 2 May 2024 at 17:00 CEST.  It will take place online.

This webinar will address mis- and disinformation, fake news, deepfakes and conspiracy theories. In particular, disinformation is surrounded by increasing concern as it has been identified as a concrete threat to democracy. With the European elections coming up in June 2024, this topic is now more relevant than ever. How can teachers and educators support their pupils in the classroom, especially if they are first-time voters?

You can already register for the webinar here. 

Did you miss Webinar 1, which introduced the BIK Teacher corner? If so, you can watch the recording here. 

More generally, check the BIK Teacher corner webinar page regularly for more information on upcoming webinars. 

• AdWiseOnline guide to outsmart unwanted ads and marketing traps online
• Media literacy in the fight against online hate speech

Please submit your public portal blog articles to the BIK content mailbox.

Remember, article contributions to the BIK portal will count towards your SIC’s lump sum mechanism (LSM) criteria for 2024.

Helpline case studies

• This week, the Slovenian Safer Internet Centre has uploaded a number of helpline case studies on a range of topics, from blackmail on Snapchat (multiple cases), sextortion, and when sexting becomes a tool within conflict - browse the case repository here (login first).

Hotline community of practice

• Finnish Hotline Nettivihje published its annual report for 2023

We hope that you are enjoying exploring the BIK platform. Please note, a BIK user guide is available to download from the BIK community (login first). In case of questions or issues when using any aspect of the BIK platform, please contact us using the contact link in the top right navigation area or email support@betterinternetforkids.eu.

IMPORTANT – if you have new starters who need to register for the platform, please direct them to www.betterinternetforkids.eu/register, in parallel with sending an email to support@betterinternetforkids.eu so that we can verify them and provide further instructions.

Remember, contributions to the BIK community will count towards your SIC’s lump sum mechanism (LSM) criteria for 2024.

• Better Internet for Kids (BIK) public portal:
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu; #BIK; #BIKbulletin
• New BIK strategy (BIK+) on BIK portal:
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu/newbikstrategy; #BIKplus
• Safer Internet Forum (SIF) on BIK portal:
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sif;#SIF2023; #SIF2024, #SaferInternetForum
• BIK Policy Map on BIK portal:
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu/bikmap; #BIKPolicyMap
• Safer Internet Day (SID) minisite:
  www.saferinternetday.org; #SID2024; #SID2025; #SaferInternetDay
• Positive Online Content (POCC) minisite:
  www.positiveonlinecontentforkids.eu; #positivecontent; #PositiveOnlineContent; #POCC
• BIK Youth minisite:
  www.bikyouth.eu; #BIKyouth; #Pledge2Youth
• Child and youth consumer protection campaign (launched on Safer Internet Day 2024):
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu/adwiseonline; #AdWiseOnline
• Media literacy campaign (launched in March 2024):
  www.betterinternetforkids.eu/mediasmartonline; #MediaSmartOnline
• 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