Today, millions of people in 120 countries are participating in the Safer Internet Day. The 2017 motto is “Be the change: unite for a better internet”.
In this spirit, the European Commission, tech and telecoms companies, broadcasters, NGOs and UNICEF (who all form the Alliance to Better Protect Minors Online) will unveil today a self-regulatory initiative to address harmful content, conduct and contact online. Within the next three months, the tech and telecoms companies will present their individual commitments to improve online safety.
This Alliance has been brokered by the Commission in line with its Better Internet for Kids strategy. Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said: “Today, our children are born into an increasingly digital society and start using the internet at an ever younger age. This gives them a direct involvement and importance in the Digital Single Market. While online activities stimulate their critical thinking, they may face risks that can harm their well-being and development. Creating a safe digital environment for children is a shared responsibility and so I welcome this self-regulatory initiative from companies and NGOs. I have high expectations of the Alliance’s work to make the internet safer and better for children.”
More thoughts from the Vice-President can be found in his blog post. Further details on the Safer Internet Day and the Alliance are available here.
