QuickLinks - Safer Internet awareness

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Issue no. 244 - 7 September 2002

• Teens help peers stay safe online (Reuters)
  As if sexual predators and computer viruses weren’t enough for the youngest set of Web surfers to worry about, they also have to be on the lookout for their peers. Hackers and predators are considered the biggest threats, but some dangers are to be found closer to home. Teenangels is a group of volunteers who work to ensure the safety of children and teenagers on the Web by producing educational videos, teaching kids about anti-virus software and compiling tips on how to avoid predators.

Issue no. 243 - 31 August 2002

• US - Cartoon turtle teaches online safety (Reuters)
  These days the concern is Internet safety and security, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is turning to a new messenger - a savvy little turtle named "Dewie" with a hardened shell that won't get crushed on the Internet.

Issue no. 241 - 24 July 2002

• EU - Young children find pornography on the Net (NUA)
  The preliminary findings of an EU study on Internet safety in Ireland, Belgium, the UK and Greece, suggests that 24 percent of children between the ages of eight and 17 have accidentally encountered pornography while online. see Minister Launches EU Funded Internet Safety Initiative. see also Kids exposed to internet porn - study (u.tv) .

• UK - Paedophiles' honeypot (Preston Online)
  A Preston businessman with links to the porn industry has launched an Internet chatroom for children - offering safety from online perverts. But the operation has sparked concerns with Lancashire Constabulary's computer crime unit, warning the website could be a "honeypot" for paedophiles.

• UK - Researchers call on schools to teach dangers of internet (Guardian)
  Researchers behind a study into internet paedophilia are calling on schools to take more responsibility for teaching children how to stay safe in cyberspace. The research, from the cyberspace research unit at the University of Central Lancashire, found that not only did paedophiles use chat rooms to contact children, but the children most likely to meet up with online acquaintances were those least likely to understand the dangers. see also Children unaware of internet dangers (Guardian).

Issue no. 240 - 14 July 2002

• BE - Pour nos enfants, surfez prudemment (Le Soir)
  Une étude belge alimente une réflexion européenne pour un internet plus sûr. La Commission européenne s'inquiète des dangers qui pourraient menacer les enfants face à l'internet. Les Facultés universitaires de Namur ont d'abord voulu savoir ce qu'ils y cherchent. Au même titre que n'importe quel média, le réseau internet recèle des manières et de nombreux contenus à ne pas mettre dans les mains des enfants. On pense bien sûr aux sites pornographiques, mais d'autres dangers, moins immédiats mais plus pernicieux, guettent les mineurs d'âge au détour d'un clic: les contenus illégaux ou choquants, les e-mails non désirés, les virus, ou les incitations commerciales particulièrement ciblées par exemple. Consciente de ce nouveau phénomène, la Commission européenne a donc souhaité que des chercheurs se penchent sur l'éducation et la sensibilisation des jeunes (et des parents) pour un internet plus sûr. Parmi ces chercheurs, deux membres des Facultés universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix de Namur (FUNDP).

Issue no. 239 - 30 June 2002

• DE - Weniger als die Hälfte aller Eltern kennt Internet-Kindersicherung (Heise)
  Nur 45 Prozent aller Eltern wissen, wie sie ihre Kinder technisch vor gefährlichen Inhalten im Internet schützen können. Das hat eine repräsentative Umfrage des Emnid-Institutes unter Kindern von 6 bis 14 Jahren und ihren Eltern -- zusammen 500 Befragte -- ergeben.

• EU - Los Quince prolongan hasta 2004 el programa contra los contenidos ilícitos en Internet (Europa Press)
  El Consejo de Telecomunicaciones de la Unión Europea acordó en Luxemburgo la fijación de una dotación financiera adicional de 13,3 millones de euros para que el programa contra los contenidos ilícitos y nocivos en Internet (lucha contra la pornografía infantil, el racismo y la violencia) se prorrogue hasta el año 2004, dos años más de lo previsto inicialmente. ver tambien UE prolonga hasta 2004 programa contra contenidos ilícitos online (IBLNews) y La Unión Europea prolongará hasta el 2004 el programa contra los contenidos ilícitos en Internet (Delitosinformaticos.com).

Issue no. 238 - 22 June 2002

• EU - Aktionsplan gegen "illegale Web-Inhalte" (Heise)
  Internet-Benutzer in der EU sollen besser gegen illegale Inhalte geschützt werden. Für die Fortführung eines entsprechenden Aktionsplans sprach sich der EU-Telekommunikationsrat am Dienstag in Luxemburg aus. Gefördert wird unter anderem der Aufbau eines Netzes von Meldestellen in Europa, eine freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Diensteanbieter und die Entwicklung von Filtersystemen gegen schädliche Inhalte. Auf diese Weise sollen Kinderpornografie oder rassistische Websites aus dem weltweiten Computernetz verschwinden.

Issue no. 236 - 8 June 2002

• FR - L'éducation à la civilité de l'internet (Forum des droits sur l'internet)
  Le Forum des droits sur l’internet a signé le 30 avril 2002 un accord-cadre de partenariat avec le ministère de la Jeunesse, de l’Éducation nationale et de la Recherche en vue de mener avec lui des actions de sensibilisation des élèves et des professeurs aux règles de droit, aux pratiques informelles et aux savoir-faire qui permettent un usage sûr et maîtrisé d’internet et des réseaux. Une première réunion des partenaires du projet a eu lieu jeudi 23 mai.

• IT - Il "viaggio" del bambino in Rete (Ministro per l'Innovazione e le Tecnologie)
  itinerari, esperienze, attese. La prima analisi europea sui comportamenti dei bambini nel web. vedere anche Safer Internet - Intervento del Ministro Stanca al convegno "Chi ha paura della rete? Per un uso consapevole di Internet".

Issue no. 234 - 11 May 2002

• Council of Europe - Education and Awareness in order to Increase Internet Literacy (CoE)
  General report of the hearing on 25 March 2002 by the Group of Specialists on On-Line Services and Democracy (MM-S-OD) prepared by Ms Janice RICHARDSON .

• Germany - Internet Responsibility at Schools (Bertelsmann Foundation)
  Workshop October, 23rd/24th 2000, Gütersloh. What methods are to be applied to ensure the responsible use of the Internet at school? The goal of this project was to identify best-practice models in German, British, Norwegian and American schools and to develop a manual on the responsible use of the Internet at German schools.

• USA - Media Literacy: An Alternative to Censorship (Free Expression Policy Project)
  A 56-page report which surveys the history and current state of media literacy education and illustrates why it is far preferable to TV ratings, Internet filters, "indecency" laws, and other efforts to censor the ideas and information available to the young. Includes five recommendations for public policies to advance media literacy. Excerpts and full report.

Issue no. 233 - 4 May 2002

• USA - No Quick Fix to Fighting Pornography on the Internet (New York Times)
  One of the most thorough reports ever produced on protecting children from Internet pornography, Youth, Pornography and the Internet by the National Research Council has concluded there are no simple solutions to the problem. see also Porn Panel Plays It Safe (Wired.

Issue no. 231 - 14 April 2002

• Council of Europe - European Forum on Harmful and Illegal Cyber Content (CoE)
  European Forum on Harmful and Illegal Cyber Content: Self-Regulation, User Protection and Media Competence, Strasbourg, 28 November 2001. Reports And Videos.

Issue no. 230 - 7 April 2002

• EU - Commission adopts extension of Action Plan to Make the Internet a Safer Place (RAPID)
  The European Commission has decided to extend the Safer Internet Action Plan for an additional period of two years. The EU has been a forerunner in the fight against illegal and harmful content on the Internet since 1996. The Safer Internet Action Plan is a cornerstone of the EU's action in this field. The Commission now proposes a new phase of the current Action Plan ensuring it to run until the end of 2004.

• France - L'espace junior de la CNIL (Le Monde)
  Un site pour aider les enfants à surfer en toute sécurité. A l'occasion de la Fête de l'Internet, la Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) a rappelé que son rôle n'était pas seulement de sanctionner mais aussi d'éduquer. L'espace junior du site de la CNIL a précisément pour vocation de prodiguer des conseils aux enfants afin de se protéger lorsqu'ils se promènent sur la Toile.

Issue no. 226 - 3 March 2002

• France - Rencontres du Net - Internet, jeunes et familles (Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité)
  Paris, 20 mars 2002. Durant cette journée, les pouvoirs publics, les représentants des associations concernées et des experts débattront et échangeront sur les enjeux et les risques de l'entrée de l'Internet dans la cellule familiale. Thèmes de la journée: Internet pour éduquer, Un Internet plus sûr, Un Internet utile, Internet pour tous.

Issue no. 221 - 26 January 2002

• Australia - Keeping children safe on the Internet (ABA)
  The Australian Broadcasting Authority has launched an education program to help keep children safe on the Internet. Cybersmart Kids Online - smart net surfing for kids and their grownups' features a range of material, including an updated website, brochures and posters providing tools and information for adults supervising children, and friendly tips for children to be Internet savvy. The program has been formulated in response to the ABA's Internet@home research.

• Toys, Games and Media, London, 19-22 August 2002 (Conference Announcement)
  The 3rd world congress of the International Toy Research Association will be held in conjunction with the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth & Media, University of London Institute of Education. The meeting will be held at the Institute of Education, near Russell Square and the British Museum.

• UK - Cyberangels preach online safety to East London teens (ZDNet UK)
  Underprivileged children in the London borough of Newham are being trained to teach other teenagers in Internet safety. The non-profit-making organisation Cyberangels, based in New York, is coordinating an intensive six-week training course for teenagers on The Carpenter's Estate in East London.

• UK - Welcome to KidSmart! (Press release)
  Welcome to KidSmart, a special website which gives details of the KidSmart roadshow which is currently touring over 20 cities across the UK as well as practical tips and resources to help you and your children get the most out of the internet and stay safe online,

Issue no. 218 - 6 January 2002

• 2002 promises tech changes for family (Mercury News)
  Faster home Internet access, more children with mobile phones and continued wrangling over laws to shield youngsters from online porn are among the things Larry Magid sees for the year 2002.

• UK - Home Office screens Internet paedophile warning ads (ZDNet UK)
  Hard-hitting advertisements calling for children to wise up to the dangers of Internet paedophiles were screened for the first time. The safety messages, which depict an actor posing as a paedophile, will be aired at cinemas, on commercial radio stations and in teen magazines early in the new year. With £1.5m of new government funding, the advertisements are designed to educate children in the sophisticated methods that paedophiles use to meet children online. Each carries a warning against young people handing out their personal details to people that they have met on the Internet.

Issue no. 216 - 8 December 2001

• UK - Ad campaign warns of chat room dangers (Guardian)
  The government launched a £1.5m advertising campaign to help parents explain the potential dangers of internet chat rooms to their children. see Wise up to the net.

• Deutschland - «Internet-ABC» soll Kompetenz vermitteln (dpa)
  Das ABC ist von der Landesanstalt für Rundfunk Nordrhein-Westfalen (LfR), der Bertelsmann Stiftung und der Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung zur Förderung der Medienkompetenz entwickelt worden. Der Informationsdienst ist unabhängig, nichtkommerziell sowie werbefrei und soll Basiswissen rund ums Internet spielerisch für Kinder und informativ für Eltern vermitteln. Siehe auch Pinguin Eddie soll beim "Internet-ABC" helfen (Heise).

Issue no. 215 - 2 December 2001

• Survey on Internet Awareness in UK, Austria and Greece (Press Release)
  Children are still finding "rude, violent, nasty and upsetting" material on the Internet, mostly by accident, new surveys by European Research into Consumer Affairs in the UK, and Media Education Institute at the Landesakademie show. Three out of four UK kids aged 11 - 14 years find harmful material on-line. But they are starting to recognise safety guidelines like ERICA’s. Over three quarters of children in Austria and over eight out of ten in UK surf the Internet (at least sometimes) alone.

Issue no. 214 - 23 November 2001

• Kids' Net safety in Europe (Net Family Newsletter)
  Europe clearly has the will to protect its online kids, witness the European Commission's Safer Internet Action Plan and the way it has channeled funding into research, online-safety measures, coordination, and public awareness. "The first people to really recognize the issue [in Europe] were the European Commission," Nigel Williams told us.

Issue no. 213 - 11 November 2001

• Call for proposals to raise awareness of safer use of the Internet (Europa)
  The European Commission has issued a new call for proposals for actions to raise awareness of safer use of the internet. The call is for broadly-based projects intended to promote awareness of safer use of the Internet. The indicative budget available for this call amounts to € 4.2 million. To be eligible, proposals must reach the Action Plan office at the European Commission by 31 January 2002. Proposals are also invited under the open call for hotlines, particularly from new hotlines in Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal. The deadline for the next evaluation is 31 January 2002.

• Chinese government gives awards to non-porn websites (Ananova)
  The Chinese government has given awards to websites that don't feature porn. Organisers say they want people to learn the internet can be entertaining without sex.

• España - Seguridad electrónica (Info XXI)
  Los Ministerios de Interior, Administraciones Públicas, y Ciencia y Tecnología, han venido trabajando de forma decidida por una Internet más segura, mediante iniciativas de carácter normativo, así como mediante actuaciones de colaboración con la empresa privada y los usuarios. Entre las actuaciones más destacables, se viene promoviendo la realización de campañas de difusión sobre diferentes aspectos relacionados con la seguridad en las tecnologías de la información y un uso más seguro de la Red, tales como:
  · Campañas antivirus informáticos
  · Red de alerta temprana sobre nuevos virus
  · Protección de la juventud y la infancia ante contenidos nocivos
  · Puesta en marcha de un centro de denuncias sobre contenidos ilícitos y en especial la pornografía infantil

• Italia - La prevenzione e la tutela dei minori nelle reti telematiche (Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni)
  Consultazione pubblica. Al fine di acquisire elementi di informazione e documentazione per lo studio di alcune problematiche connesse alla tutela dei minori nel corrente utilizzo degli strumenti offerti dalle reti telematiche, ed in particolare di Internet, anche tenendo conto delle possibilità - disponibili sia per i minori, che per gli educatori - di controllo, diretto ed indiretto, sull’accesso alle reti e sui contenuti delle informazioni, si invitano le categorie di soggetti: famiglie; "minori"; istituti di istruzione e formazione; operatori; associazioni; esperti; a partecipare alla consultazione pubblica concernente "La prevenzione e la tutela dei minori nelle reti telematiche".

• Kids' Net safety in Europe (Net Family Newsletter)
  Europe clearly has the will to protect its online kids, witness the European Commission's Safer Internet Action Plan and the way it has channeled funding into research, online-safety measures, coordination, and public awareness. "The first people to really recognize the issue [in Europe] were the European Commission," Nigel Williams told us. see Net Family Newsletter archives.

Issue no. 211 - 20 October 2001

• Calling all parents! (Sunday Times)
  Are you a parent or guardian of a child aged 15 or younger? The Sunday Times is seeking volunteers to participate in Surfsafe2001, the first nationwide survey and analysis of children's behaviour online. We ask you to download a free piece of software, which will record your child's computer activity for a fortnight, then to complete a confidential online questionnaire.

Issue no. 210 - 14 October 2001

• Ireland launches Internet Safety Initiatives (Europemedia)
  The Irish Minister for Children launched a number of Internet Safety Initiatives on behalf of the Internet Advisory Board, designed to improve internet safety, especially for Children, including a new website to be a resource for all those interested in internet safety in Ireland and will provide simple safety tips for both parents and Children. The government also commissioned a research report to explore the downside of the internet among 10 to 14 year-old users as well as their parents in order to identify internet safety issues.

• USA - SurfWatch Safety Partnership (GetNetWise)
  The SurfWatch Safety Partnership has developed a digital tool kit to help police officers and others involved in law enforcement develop programs to take into schools and community groups. This free tool kit includes separate materials for speaking to adults or children and provides a presentation with a suggested script, brochures, fact sheets and a sample Internet safety contract to leave behind

Issue no. 209 - 1 October 2001

• Context magazine publsihes special issue (dotSAFE)
  A new edition of the Context magazine for teachers in Europe has been published. Special topic is safer use of the Internet: an interview by students with Erkki Liikanen, Commissionere for Enterprise and Information Society, a comprehensive set of articles from projects funded by the Safer Internet Action Plan, advice, links and recommendations.

• Responsible Netizen (University of Oregon)
  Responsible Netizen is a new initiative of the Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE). Responsible Netizen will: Develop effective strategies to assist young people in gaining the knowledge, decision-making skills, motivation, and self-control to behave in a safe, responsible, legal, and ethical manner when using the Internet and other information technologies. Disseminate these strategies to schools, libraries, parents, policy-makers, and others.

• Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (CoSN)
  School District Options for Providing Access to Appropriate Internet Content. The Consortium for School Networking is a non-profit association that promotes the use of telecommunications to improve learning in primary and secondary schools.

• Workshop final report now out (saferinternet.org)
  The final report of the Safer Use of Interactive Technologies Workshop organised by the Commission on June 11 & 12 in Luxembourg is now available.

• EU - Tackling harmful content on the Internet (E-PING!)
  The European Parliamentarians Internet Group is holding a meeting on Wednesday, 10th October 6.30 - 8.00 in Room 1E1, European Parliament, Brussels.

Issue no. 208 - 24 September 2001

• France - Mise en ligne de "Familles en ligne" (Ministère délégué à la famille et à l'enfance)
  Une animation expliquant rapidement les principaux bienfaits et risques de l'Internet. L'originalité de "familles en ligne" repose sur les différents conseils qui sont proposés à la fois aux parents mais aussi aux enfants pour utiliser sans danger l'internet. Ces conseils peuvent illustrés par la création d'une charte familiale, un code de "bonne conduite" qui devient par l'occasion d'un dialogue entre parents et enfants.Ce guide sera bientôt offert systématiquement sur les kits de connexion à internet réalisés par les membres de l'AFA (Association des fournisseurs d'accès et de Services Internet).

Issue no. 207 - 18 September 2001

• Assurer la protection de l’enfant sur l’internet (Forum des droits sur l'internet)
  Fiche pratique.

• UK - Internet Proficiency Scheme (BECTA)
  Everyone knows that internet safety is an important issue, and Becta recently underlined this with the announcement of its Internet Proficiency Scheme, which is aimed at children in English primary schools. A teaching pack will be produced with certificates for pupils as well as games and quizzes to help get the message about internet safety across.

Issue no. 204 - 27 July 2001

• Commission moves to protect the young online (Europemedia)
  Moves by the European Commission, national governments and individual projects aiming to ensure safer use of the internet among young users have been announced, as further evidence is released showing the importance of the internet to young people.

Issue no. 203 - 19 July 2001

• Child Safety Online (MSN)
  The Internet is a whole world to discover - full of interesting facts, images, and people. Like the real world, the virtual world of the Internet also has its dangers, so it pays to be aware of potential threats before they arise. MSN wants you to enjoy the internet safely, so we’ve put together this Web site with tips and hints to help parents and children get the most out of the Internet and avoid potential dangers online. see also Shaquille O'Neal and Tara Lipinski help launch Stay Safe Online, an online tutorial that teaches kids and parents basic Internet surfing skills.

• Instant message to all parents: Watch the kids (USA Today)
  Parents may be clueless, but they know enough about instant messaging to be concerned. More than half of parents in several recent surveys said they worry that their kids were talking to online strangers. And they're right: Half of kids admit it. se also Kids need enduring smarts with instant messaging.

• Our society’s digital babysitter (MSNBC)
  By Brock N. Meeks. Most reports about a new study about online use missed the screaming red flags warning parents that they are losing their kids to anonymous chat rooms, instant messages and the "No Fear" zones of the Net.

• Teenangels will teach kids about online safety (Ananova)
  A team of 'Teenangels' are to teach children the fundamentals of online safety. Their goal is to teach young surfers how to avoid criminals who prey on children using e-mail, chat rooms and instant messaging. It is the brainchild of Parry Aftab, a New York lawyer who specialises in security and privacy law.

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