Better Internet for Kids

The awareness centre is responsible for national coordination (aligning the programmes and projects of ministries, NGOs and private partners). It focuses on awareness raising on safer internet issues, through a website, campaigns, events and working groups. 

The Offlimits helpline provides a channel for people, in particular children and young people, to seek advice on how to deal with online harm, such as harmful contact (grooming), conduct (cyberbullying), and misuse of harmful content, or other related topics such as the use of digital technologies and media literacy. The helpline is open not just to children and adolescents but also to parents, teachers, and professionals working with youngsters. The helpline provides advice on how best to handle reported situations and acts as a recognised trusted flagger under the Digital Services Act (DSA), flagging illegal content and behaviour to online service providers.

The Offlimits helpline is open 7 days a week via phone or online chat, from Monday to Thursday from 07:00 to 23:00, Friday from 09:00 to 17:00, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

The helpline is reachable 24/7 via email. A self-help module is also provided on the helpline's website.

The Offlimits hotline receives public reports on illegal content online, in particular child sexual abuse material (CSAM), aiming to remove reported CSAM as quickly as possible. The hotline processes reports received, including analysing the legality of the content and its origin. If the content is found to be illegal, the hotline then sends a NTD (notice and take down) to hosting providers under the Code of Conduct in the Netherlands, forwards the report to law enforcement agencies (LEA) for further investigation, and/or uploads the report into ICCAM, the secure platform to exchange reports among jurisdictions by INHOPE, if the content is hosted outside the Netherlands.

Illegal content can be reported to the Offlimits hotline via the online report on the hotline's website. 

The Offlimits Youth Impact Lab plays a key role in understanding and addressing online safety for young people in the Netherlands. The Youth Impact Lab is made up of youth ambassadors who meet regularly to share their experiences and insights and provide feedback on the work of the Safer Internet Centre. By understanding what's going on and how young people experience online challenges, they can lobby more effectively in both Dutch and European policy.

Young people in the Netherlands can get involved via the Youth Impact Lab and other youth initiatives organised by the Safer Internet Centre. More information can be found on the SIC's website.