Safer Internet Centres (SICs)

Outcomes and deliverables

The investment will deliver a pan-European network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) that will allow children and young people to become more resilient digital users through awareness-raising activities in informal and formal education (e.g., youth participation activities, workshops, classroom visits, competitions). Parents, carers, teachers, and other professionals working with children will gain a better understanding of the risks and opportunities of children accessing digital content and services, through information sessions, train the trainers programmes, and online and offline material. Local, national, and European actors will gain timely information on emerging risks through the helpline service. Public authorities including law enforcement agencies will have access to resources and services, and exchanges with hotline analysts to develop better preventive measures and to remove online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in an effective manner. The private sector will benefit from increased market opportunities for high quality online content and will cooperate with the SICs through joint initiatives and awareness campaigns such as the Safer Internet Day.

The objective of the topic is to support national SICs (i.e., hubs gathering NGOs, government bodies/agencies, private sector organisations) in providing online safety information, educational resources, public awareness tools and counselling and reporting services (through dedicated helplines and hotlines) for young people, teachers, and parents. The activities performed by the SICs will help minors to tackle online risks and to become media literate, resilient digital citizens, and will allow citizens to anonymously report online child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The funding will ensure the financial sustainability of the European SICs, by enabling the awarded consortiums to provide at least:

• A centre for raising awareness among children, parents, and teachers about online opportunities and risks. The focus will be to identify and address emerging risks (e.g., self-generated sexualised content) and challenges such as mental and physical health issues related to the use of technologies (self-harm, addiction, perception of self-identity and self-image);
• A helpline to give advice and support to parents and children on issues related to children's use of digital technologies and services;
• A hotline for tackling CSAM (i.e. receiving, analysing, and processing reports of such material). Closer cooperation with law enforcement and the private sector should be further explored.

Implementation: Executive Agency