It's February, and we welcome a month of safer internet celebrations across the network and beyond. As we commence the final countdown to Safer Internet Day (SID) 2025, we have lots of important updates for you...

[URGENT REMINDER] Updating SID public profile pages
Thanks to all SICs which have recently updated their SID profile pages (either directly or via the online form). If you haven't already done so, please do so as soon as possible by completing the EU Survey form - see https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/SaferInternetDay2025.

[NEW] Second edition of the SID dissemination plan now available
We are pleased to share with you the second issue of the Safer Internet Day 2025 dissemination plan. This document is designed to provide you with updated resources to support your promotional activities as we approach SID on 11 February 2025, and to help maintain momentum throughout the month of February. It can be downloaded, along with other SID assets, from the About page of the Safer Internet Day website.

[NEW] Updated SID video now available
We are also delighted to share that the new SID video, featuring Ally, is now available on YouTube (in EN with a range of subtitling options). Any SICs requiring the video in their national language/with voiceovers, or in square format for social media use, should contact Annarita directly. 

[NEW] Reporting on SID 2025 actions via the BIK platform
As previously noted, reporting for Safer Internet Day will now be conducted through the BIK community (log in first) using the online tools used for assessment platform uploads. The form is now live.

Typically, we will give permission to access the SID form to the same point of contact as SIC SID profile editors; if you require a different colleague to have access, please contact Sarah.

To enable us to benefit from the campaign momentum in follow-up activities, SID report submissions should be made via the BIK platform by the close of business on Tuesday, 11 March 2025.

In case of questions or queries
Please feel free to contact the SID helpdesk with any further questions regarding the 2025 campaign.

Following its recent launch, a kind reminder that we call on all network members to actively participate in amplifying the new AdWiseOnline campaign's reach by spreading its messages and materials widely. Share and adapt the campaign materials within your own networks to help raise awareness about manipulative in-game marketing practices. The campaign will run until Sunday, 16 February 2025, and your participation is key to making it a success across the EU.

The campaign provides a variety of resources designed to support parents, caregivers, teachers, educators, and other professionals in guiding young consumers through marketing traps in online games. Key activities include the 'Game of terms' social media initiative with youth videos, collaborations with influencers on Instagram and Twitch, podcasts and webinars, educational modules, and much more.

For full details, including access to the promotional pack that you can localise to your national context*, please visit the AdWiseOnline section on the BIK public portal. For any questions or specific requests, please contact Inna.

* Please note, the AdWiseOnline campaign resources are also being shared with European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) for localisation and amplification. We know that in many countries, SICs are already in contact with their national ECC. If this is the case, you may wish to liaise with your ECC to check their plans and/or benefit from collaboration on campaign activity. If your SIC is not currently in active contact with your national ECC but would like to be, again contact Inna in the first instance so that she can facilitate an introduction. 

The first episode of the AdWiseOnline podcast went live last week, with a focus on the psychology of marketing manipulation in gaming – advice for families to protect and empower youth. The video version of the podcast can be watched on the YouTube podcast channel or directly through the BIK platform, where the audio version is also available. 

Tools to support parents and caregivers in navigating the topic of manipulation in games are available on the AdWiseOnline parents and caregivers section, so feel free to access and share them as needed.

Finally, a last reminder that the upcoming webinar for teachers and educators is scheduled for Wednesday, 5 February 2025, at 17:00 CET. Be sure to register and also share this information with your community. 

As you know, the Insafe-INHOPE joint training meeting will take place in Amsterdam on 19-20 March 2025. The meeting will be held at the Mövenpick Hotel, Amsterdam City Centre and will start at 13:00 CET on Wednesday, 19 March, with two optional sessions on Wednesday morning: a visit to the Dutch helpline and hotline and a media literacy session hosted by NL SIC consortium partners ECP. 

Registration is now open, and we would ask you (and any other SIC colleagues who are planning to attend) to register as soon as possible and by COB on Monday, 24 February at the latest, using this link. You will find a link to the draft agenda (our main focus will be on AI) from the registration page, along with information about the optional sessions and the networking dinner that will take place on the famous Amsterdam canals on Wednesday evening.  

As usual at the face-to-face meeting, and by popular demand, we will have an Open Space Technology (OST) session, which will provide an opportunity for colleagues to share information about the work that they are doing at their Safer Internet Centre. This could be a chance to share some interesting research or showcase a particular resource. Please do sign up to host one of these informal sessions when you register – the OST sessions will only work if we have people willing to host: we know that there is so much expertise, good practice, and wisdom around the network that can be shared.  

We know that many of you have already booked accommodation, but colleagues from the Dutch SIC have prepared a list of other possible options nearby if this is helpful:

Walking distance (or a tram ride of 1 or 2 stops)  

• Ibis Amsterdam Centre (next to Amsterdam Central Station)
• Double Tree by Hilton Amsterdam (next to Amsterdam Central Station)
• Rooms25 (a 15-minute walk; public transport takes longer)

There are many more hotels directly in the city centre. Anything within walking distance of the Central Station would work well, and tram 26 will take you to the Mövenpick Hotel, where the training meeting will take place in around 5 minutes.  

Amsterdam Sloterdijk has some cheaper options and is only 5 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station.  

• Amsterdam City West
• Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam (near Sloterdijk Station)

We are very grateful to our colleagues from Dutch SIC for all of their help and support in planning the meeting, and we are looking forward to seeing you all in Amsterdam next month. If you need any further information or have any questions, please contact Karl. 

Many thanks to those people who joined the recent helpline early warning meeting.  A report from the meeting and a link to the recording can be found in the BIK community (login first).

The next early warning meeting for helplines will take place on Friday, 7 March 2025 at 11:00 CET; join the meeting using this link.

For further information on any aspect of the helpline early warning meetings, please contact Karl.

The next early warning meeting for awareness centres will take place on Tuesday, 18 February 2025 at 14:00 CET; use this link to join the meeting. All colleagues are welcome regardless of whether you have anything to share. For further information, please contact Karl.

Our new MOOC, Child Online Safety: What educators need to know, starts today, Monday, 3 February 2025 and runs until 12 March 2025. It is a free online course designed to help educators understand and address the challenges young people face in digital spaces, covering critical topics such as mental health, cyberbullying, persuasive design, and consumer protection. It aims to equip participants with practical strategies to foster safer and more responsible internet use. Learn more about the MOOC here.

Registration remains open and will continue to be so for the first few weeks of the MOOC; please continue disseminating information through your national contacts and channels.

We are looking for a couple of colleagues from Safer Internet Centres who would be willing to present any resources or talk about the work that they are doing on any of the following issues: mental healthand well-being, cyberbullying, persuasive design/screentime, or digital marketing tactics in gaming. This would be as part of a live event in the BIK MOOC (see above) taking place on Thursday, 13 February 2025 at 17:00 CET. Please let us know if you would be willing to present any of the work that you are doing in this space by contacting Gareth.

Articles
Recently published articles include:

• Trainings on hate speech and online human rights (SIC PT)
• Statue highlights the urgent need to combat child sexual exploitation (SIC BE)
• Hello ICT, it’s children calling! (SIC FI)
• Dutch SIC's successful helpline campaign emphasises social norms (SIC NL)
• Educational resources for Safer Internet Day 2025 (SIC GR)
• In the spotlight: Safer Internet Centres in Denmark and Poland
• Krav Maga for online resilience (SIC NL)
• Building a safer online world (SIC GR)
• Malta looks back at Safer Internet Day 2024 (SIC MT)
• Seniors Days Online – annual ICT awareness-raising campaign in Lithuania (SIC LI)
• Child Focus tool on discussing sexting with disabled young people (SIC BE)
• New digital resource promotes positive digital parenting for children (SIC PT)
• Perceptions of students regarding cybersecurity and the use of AI (SIC EE)

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

We're seeing a big increase in network Community of Practice (CoP) discussions since the new platform launch, which is great! Just a reminder that you can receive alerts directly to your inbox when a new comment is posted. Under each strand, go to My subscriptions. You can set an alert for each category or sub-category of discussion: 

Need some support?
If you have questions about any aspect of the new BIK platform, please use the contact form on the BIK platform or contact us via the BIK support mailbox.

Please note the updated URLs for the new BIK platform:

• Better Internet for Kids (BIK) on the new public platform:
  better-internet-for-kids. europa.eu; #BIK; #BIKbulletin
• BIK strategy (BIK+) on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik/bik-plus-strategy; #BIKplus
• Safer Internet Forum (SIF) on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/sif; #SIF2024, #SaferInternetForum
• BIK Knowledge hub on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/knowledge-hub; #BIKPolicyMap
• BIK Youth on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik-youth; #BIKyouth; #Pledge2Youth
• Safer Internet Day (SID) on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/saferinternetday; #SID2025; #SaferInternetDay
• Media literacy campaign on the new BIK platform:
  better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/media-smart-online; #MediaSmartOnline
• Child and youth consumer protection campaign on the new BIK platform:
  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