Better Internet for Kids

Siguronline is Moldova's internet safety awareness centre and serves as the educational and awareness-raising component of the Moldovan Safer Internet Centre. It provides a wide range of educational resources for children, parents, teachers, and other education professionals, tailored to different age groups and learning needs.

Siguronline coordinates the implementation of the Safer Internet School Programme, a comprehensive whole-school approach to online safety that supports school leadership in integrating digital safety into school policies, staff development, student and parent engagement, and the promotion of a safe digital learning environment.

The Centre provides guidance, training, and mentoring for teachers across the country, equipping them to deliver high-quality lessons on online safety, digital citizenship, and responsible technology use. It also supports local education departments in monitoring and strengthening the implementation of the Safer Internet School Programme.

As the national coordinator of Safer Internet Day (SID), Siguronline leads annual nationwide awareness campaigns that address emerging online risks and opportunities for children and young people. Its educational programmes and public awareness initiatives are developed in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research, and are co-created with teachers and children to ensure they are relevant to the evolving digital environment.

The Siguronline helpline provides free, confidential, and accessible counselling and support to children, parents and teachers who are affected by or concerned about online risks and abuse. The service offers guidance on a wide range of issues, including cyberbullying, online grooming, online harassment, privacy and security concerns, excessive technology use, and other forms of technology-facilitated harm.

The helpline operates through online communication channels, ensuring timely information, emotional support, and practical advice tailored to the needs of each user. Trained counsellors assess each situation individually, help users understand the available options, provide recommendations on how to stay safe online, and support them in taking appropriate action, including preserving evidence, reporting harmful content, or contacting relevant authorities when necessary.

Where a child or another person is identified as being at risk or a victim of abuse, the helpline facilitates referrals to specialised services, including child protection authorities, law enforcement agencies, psychological and social support services, and other competent institutions, ensuring that individuals receive comprehensive assistance beyond the initial counselling.

The Siguronline helpline operates in close cooperation with 116 111, the National Child Helpline, ensuring coordinated case management and referrals whenever cases require broader child protection interventions or multidisciplinary support.

Opening hours and contacts:

• Online counselling (Siguronline Helpline): Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00 (EET/EEST)
• Telephone counselling (116 111 – National Child Helpline): 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Telephone: 116 111 (free of charge nationwide)

The Siguronline hotline is Moldova's national hotline for reporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Operated by the International Center La Strada, it enables members of the public to report suspected CSAM quickly, securely, and anonymously through the www.siguronline.md platform.

In 2023, the Siguronline hotline became a full member of the INHOPE network, making it the only national CSAM hotline in Moldova operating in accordance with INHOPE's international technical, operational, and security standards.

The hotline operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the General Police Inspectorate and cooperation agreements with hosting service providers, ensuring effective coordination in the assessment, referral, investigation, and removal of illegal online content.

The Siguronline hotline has the full operational and technical capacity to receive, assess, and process reports of suspected CSAM submitted by the public. Reports are analysed by trained hotline analysts and, where appropriate, shared with the relevant national law enforcement authorities or with trusted INHOPE member hotlines in other jurisdictions to facilitate the prompt removal of illegal content and support criminal investigations.

Contacts:

The web reporting form is available 24/7 via www.siguronline.md. For general enquiries related to the operation of the Hotline or reporting procedures, stakeholders may contact the hotline team by email at reporting@lastrada.md.

Youth participation is a core component of the Moldova Safer Internet Centre's approach to promoting a safer and more inclusive digital environment. The Centre actively engages children and young people not only as beneficiaries of awareness-raising activities, but also as partners in designing solutions and promoting positive digital change.

Since 2018, La Strada has organised the National Contest "Together for a Better Internet", engaging teachers, students, and parents from across the country in creative initiatives that promote online safety, digital citizenship, and the responsible use of technology. Building on the success of this initiative, the contest evolved into a National Ideathon, providing young people with a platform to identify emerging digital challenges and co-create innovative solutions.

The latest edition of the Ideathon brought together approximately 50 representatives of Student Councils from 12 schools across the Republic of Moldova. As part of the Ideathon, participants piloted Cyber Quest – Digital Safety, an interactive educational game designed to strengthen students' knowledge, critical thinking, and practical skills related to online safety. The game encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and discussion of real-life digital scenarios, making online safety education more engaging and accessible. Following the successful pilot, Cyber Quest and its implementation methodology were made available to schools nationwide, enabling educational institutions to integrate the game into extracurricular activities and digital literacy programmes.

In 2024, La Strada, in partnership with the Youth Media Centre, organised the first Youth Panel as part of the Moldova Safer Internet Forum. The event brought together young people from across the country to engage in dialogue with national decision-makers and international experts, including representatives of the European Commission. Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and with the support of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, the Youth Panel provided a dedicated platform for children and young people to share their experiences, discuss emerging digital challenges, and formulate recommendations for strengthening child online safety policies and practices.

Children and young people can actively contribute to the work of the Moldova Safer Internet Centre through a variety of participation and co-creation opportunities, including:

• Joining the annual Safer Internet Day campaign by participating in awareness-raising activities, school initiatives, and peer-led events organised nationwide.
• Participating in the annual National Ideathon and other online safety competitions, collaborating to develop innovative ideas and solutions that address emerging digital challenges.
• Testing educational resources and digital tools available on Siguronline and providing feedback and suggestions for improvement through the Siguronline Helpline and other consultation mechanisms.
• Taking part in offline educational activities implemented through the national network of schools, including workshops, peer education sessions, interactive games, and awareness campaigns.
• Contributing to focus groups, surveys, and consultations.