Safer Internet Day

Banning social media for under 15s? It’s more complex than it seems. Experts from the Belgian Safer Internet Centre warn that bans are hard to enforce, easy to bypass, and risk shifting the problem rather than solving it. Instead, the priority should be: ✔️ Strong media literacy ✔️ Age-appropriate platform design ✔️ Support for parents and educators Learn more: lnkd.in/ejEf2P6n

Teachers and students are key to safer digital environments. The Portuguese Safer Internet Centre leads the way through Digital Leaders, SeguraNet Challenges and teacher training, bringing the #DSA into classrooms. The impact speaks for itself: ✔️ 3,000+ students involved ✔️ 60,000+ learners engaged ✔️ Hundreds of schools and teachers participating Discover how they support teachers and students 👉 better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/portug…

Confident teachers help young people navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. The European School Education Platform is your go-to space for practical resources, inspiring collaboration, and professional development, all designed to support educators across Europe. ✅ Explore courses & resources ✅ Connect with teachers across Europe ✅ Strengthen digital literacy and online safety education Explore the platform: school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/learn #EUSchoolEducation, #skillsforlife

Want to stay up to date with the latest news and resources on online safety for children and young people? Subscribe to the #BIK Bulletin 🗞️ better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik-bulletin

Did you know the EU's Digital Services Act bans personalised advertising targeting minors and requires platforms to set private accounts by default for under-18s? Here's a full breakdown of what the #DSA means for child safety online 👉better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/how-di… #SaferInternet #BIK

Talking works, but children need to know who to turn to first. The MAX-Box by Child Focus is a free game for youth leaders working with 9–12 year olds. It helps youth identify a trusted adult and feel confident asking for help 👉better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/max-bo… #ChildSafety #BIK

What does it take to prepare young people for the digital world? In 2025, the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre (CIS), coordinated by the National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS), set out to answer that question with action. The CIS Digital Camp brought together over 130 secondary and vocational school students aged 15–18 from across Portugal for three intensive, hands-on camps. Each edition tackled a distinct and pressing digital theme: 🛡️ #Cyberbullying 🛡️ Digital wellbeing 🛡️ Artificial intelligence (#AI) Through workshops, debates, simulations, and creative challenges, participants reflected, discussed, and built real digital skills together. 👉 Read the full article on the Better Internet for Kids platform: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/cis-di… #SaferInternet #DigitalCitizenship #MediaLiteracy #AIEducation #DigitalWellbeing #BIK

Online safety for LGBTIQ+ youth: Last November, Betternet gathered professionals across media literacy, education & LGBTIQ+ rights to find answers. The findings will feed directly into a report to the EC👉Betternet Lab: the online lives of LGBTIQ youth #LGBTIQYouth #BIK

The Greek Safer Internet Centre has launched “Your Safe Place”, an online space where children can report harmful or confusing online experiences anonymously and get support from trained professionals. Read the full article on the #BIK platform: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/your-s…

🎬 Go behind the scenes with BIK Youth! Young people played a key role in shaping the Safer Internet Forum 2025, leading discussions on “Why age matters?” and helping bring youth perspectives to the forefront. Over 30 young participants from the BIK Youth Panel, the SIF Youth Advisory Group, and the EU Children’s Participation Platform reunited in Brussels to help shape the agenda and moderate sessions. Watch the video here: youtube.com/watch?v=GZru5h… Read more about the Safer Internet Forum 2025 here: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/safer-inter…

Joint efforts for children’s online safety: 15th Media & Internet Conference in Hungary In September 2025, the Hungarian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) hosted its annual conference, bringing together over 200 professionals - from teachers and psychologists to cybersecurity experts - to discuss the latest online risks, including #cyberbullying, #gaming, and child sexual abuse material (#CSAM). Read the full article on the #BIK platform: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/joint-…

🚀 Shaping the future of online safety In July 2025, the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre joined a design thinking workshop led by the Innovation and Analytics Lab at NOVA IMS in Lisbon. Together with board members and young participants, they explored ideas and developed strategic plans to strengthen digital skills, media literacy, parental awareness, and youth participation for the next three years. 📖 Read the article on the #BIK platform: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/design… #DigitalSkills #MediaLiteracy #YouthParticipation #OnlineSafety

1 in 3 internet users is a child. Social media has many benefits, but it also exposes children to online dangers with a simple scroll: 🚸cyberbullying 🚸adult content 🚸self-harm 🚸addictive features... Discover how the EU is protecting minors online: link.europa.eu/J8HmXh

Sometimes it’s hard to explain exactly what Better Internet for Kids does. In 2025, we tried to make a difference in lots of ways, Take a look at the full BIK Recap 2025 for all the highlights ➡️ better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/progre…

🛡️ How can Europe better protect young people from #cyberbullying while empowering them online? This question was at the centre of the high-level roundtable “With Great Tech Comes Great Responsibility: Young People and the European Action Plan Against Cyberbullying”, hosted by the Lisbon Council. Hans Martens joined policymakers, educators and experts to discuss how to build safer digital environments for children and young people. The discussion reinforced a key message at the heart of the Better Internet for Kids (#BIK+) initiative: tackling cyberbullying requires not only digital skills, but also empathy, resilience and a whole-school approach where educators, families, platforms and policymakers share responsibility. 🔗 Learn more: lisboncouncil.net/newsandevents/… #OnlineSafety Photos (c) The Lisbon Council.

How can digital counselling create lasting impact for young people? The Danish helpline Cyberhus shows how community, time for reflection, and strong relational work can make a difference. Through flexible SMS counselling and recurring group chats, young people are offered safe spaces to share, reflect, and build confidence, while being supported toward positive change in their offline lives. Discover this approach on the #BIK platform article🔎better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/commun… #DigitalCounselling #YouthSupport #MentalHealth

The final selection bootcamp of the 2025 Cybersecurity Challenge in Portugal (CSCPT2025) brought together 22 talented young participants for an intensive weekend of training and Capture the Flag competitions. Discover more about the bootcamp, the selected team, and the partners behind this national effort to promote #cybersecurity excellence🔎 better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/final-… #Cybersecurity #DigitalSkills #BIK

Today, three Better Internet for Kids Youth Ambassadors took part in the first meeting of the Special Panel on Child Safety Online, hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Commission. Announced during the State of the Union Address 2025, the panel aims to provide expert recommendations on how to better protect and empower children online and explore the need for potential harmonised age restrictions to access social media. We’re delighted that youth perspectives are part of the conversation on the future of online safety in Europe! Read more: digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/pa… #BetterInternetForKids #BIKYouth #ChildSafetyOnline #Cyberbullying Photo (c) European Union 2026 (EC Audiovisual Service/Dati Bendo)

On 10 February 2026, during Safer Internet Day, the European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan against Cyberbullying, a comprehensive initiative to better protect children and young people online. Built around prevention, stronger protection measures, and improved reporting and support systems, the plan responds to growing concerns across Europe about the impact of cyberbullying. Discover the key actions and what happens next🔎 better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/eu-act… #SaferInternetDay #Cyberbullying #DigitalSafety #EU #BIK

What did the BIK Youth achieve in 2025? Among many others, BIK Youth Panellists and Ambassadors: 🚀Raised their voices on #cyberbullying, shaping dialogues and action plans 🚀Co-created campaigns on the #DSA and digital marketing targeting youth 🚀Helped shape the Safer Internet Forum (#SIF) 2025, moderating sessions and setting the agenda 🚀Advocated for easier reporting tools to make online spaces safer Read more on the BIK platform: better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/bik-youth #BIKYouth #SaferInternet #YouthParticipation #DSA