Safer Internet Day promotes safer and more responsible use of online technology, especially for children and young people.
This year, it takes place on 11 February and calls on stakeholders around the globe to take concrete steps to make the internet safer and more inclusive for all. Celebrations and awareness activities will take place throughout February and everyone is invited to join the movement.
In the EU, 97% of young people use the internet daily. The EU is committed to ensuring everyone is safe online. As minors are among the most vulnerable groups, the EU has put a specific focus on protecting them through various initiatives:
- Digital Services Act: to combat cyberbullying, illegal content, disinformation, and others. It mandates that online platforms implement stronger safeguards for minors, including parental controls, age verification, and limits on targeted advertising.
- Safer Internet Centre network: to offer awareness campaigns, helplines, hotlines, and youth participation services. They equip children, parents, and educators with tools and knowledge to recognise online threats and report harmful content.
- Better Internet for Kids: a strategy to create safer digital experiences for children. It protects them from harmful and illegal content, creates an age-appropriate digital environment, equips them with the necessary digital skills to empower them and supports their participation in shaping internet policies.
Safer Internet Day started as an EU initiative in 2004 and has since grown into a global movement, celebrated in over 180 countries each year. By working together, policymakers, industry representatives, civil society organisations, educators, and young people themselves help create a safer digital world for future generations.
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