Better Internet for Kids bulletin

Welcome to the 38th edition of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) bulletin. This quarterly bulletin aims to keep you informed of safer and better internet issues and opportunities across Europe and beyond. In each edition, we bring you a mix of news, research and resources from many of the key stakeholders in keeping children and young people safe online, be they European Safer Internet Centres (SICs), research organisations, industry partners, policymakers or other experts in the field.

In each edition of the BIK bulletin, we examine a topical issue—for this edition, we're focusing on virtual worlds. Following a recent multistakeholder panel discussion, we bring you insights from various perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of this next-generation technology.

In this edition, we also bring you news from the latest round of the BIK Policy Monitor exercise across Europe, and insights into considerations for age assurance typologies and requirements for online tools and platforms. As always, we bring you some updates from across the Safer Internet Centre network and give a sneak preview of what's coming up in the autumn season.

If you have any comments on this resource or would like to contribute to a future edition of the BIK bulletin, please contact us.

Some of the key developments in recent years revolve around artificial intelligence (AI), with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) applications emerging in all sectors of society, from leisure and learning to business and health. Virtual reality environments are understandably popular with children and young people, and their online experiences are becoming increasingly immersive. In the last edition of the BIK bulletin, we previewed the topic of virtual worlds. Indeed, an article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal - published on Safer Internet Day 2024 - reflected on the benefits of virtual reality environments, and the importance of safety by design. It also included a mapping of some useful resources from the European network of Safer Internet Centres.

Since then, we've continued this focus, with a panel discussion taking place earlier this month in which multiple stakeholders considered the opportunities of virtual worlds, alongside some of the challenges and risks. In this month's focus article, we bring you an insight into various perspectives on virtual worlds, considering some of the opportunities and challenges from policy, practice and research perspectives.

In July 2023 the EC published a communication titled EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition. It sets out the strategy and proposed actions on virtual worlds and Web 4.0, building on consultations with people, academia, civil society and businesses.

To get the lowdown on the policy perspectives of virtual worlds, we spoke to Tünde Levy from the European Commission (DG CONNECT Unit G2 - Interactive Technologies, Digital for Culture and Education). We asked her:

What exactly are virtual worlds?

It's actually defined in the communication. By virtual worlds, we mean persistent 3D real-time immersive environments that blur the line between real and virtual for the purposes of socialising, working, learning, making transactions, playing, and creating.

When we talk about virtual worlds, we also talk about Web 4.0, which is the next anticipated step in digital transformation. In short, it’s a wider, long-term technological transition in which physical and digital worlds will seamlessly blend and smart devices will communicate with each other to perform complex tasks.

Are virtual worlds new?

The concept of virtual words has actually been around for a couple of decades, but it’s gained more attention in recent times. Rapid technological advances, including improved connectivity and infrastructure, have meant that virtual worlds are now more technically and economically feasible in mainstream applications. This, in turn, opens up a wide range of opportunities in many different areas across both the public sector and industry. Besides obvious applications in entertainment, leisure, video games, education, and cultural heritage, virtual worlds are increasingly used in maintenance, design, the construction sector, health, and training. And, of course, the number of sectors it can support is growing daily.

Alongside these, we asked her lots of other questions, including:

• What is the EC’s policy perspective on virtual worlds?
• What is the vision behind the EC's communication on virtual worlds, and how will it be achieved?
• Who did you consult while preparing the communication?
• How do virtual worlds relate to the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy?
• What is next on the horizon for this work?

Read the full question and answer session on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal.

Tommi Tossavainen is a planning officer at KAVI National Audiovisual Institute in Finland (part of the Finnish Safer Internet Centre). In the video clip that follows, Tommi shares his views on virtual worlds and the opportunities they can present - not just for young people but also for the population in general. To give some examples, Tommi shares six areas of opportunities for virtual worlds, with some representing more personal opportunities while others present wider civic opportunities for education, work, and democracy:

• Virtual worlds can bring well-being benefits. Perhaps most importantly, virtual worlds can be fun, and happiness has intrinsic value that can motivate users to discover or learn more. They can also provide benefits for physical activity and mental health. Additionally, in some studies, immersive experiences have been found to provide pain-relieving benefits for those suffering from illness.
• Creativity is one of the biggest areas for opportunities, for example, in terms of content creation (including creating art, music, games and other digital content), storytelling and modifying (modding - the activity of making changes to software or hardware software or hardware), and design and innovation in virtual spaces.
• The concept of community is key - virtual worlds enable (young) people to connect with peers across the globe, fostering communication skills and cultural awareness. They can promote community building, encouraging collaboration and a sense of belonging, alongside self-exploration in a seemingly safer setting (compared to the real world).
• Educational benefits of virtual worlds include interactive learning, skills development and motivation.
• In terms of work, virtual platforms can simulate remote work environments, enabling access to training and careers that might not be possible in the real world. Working in virtual spaces can also encourage entrepreneurship and promote further career exploration and opportunities.
• Last but by no means least in Tommi's set of examples was democracy including community leadership, public participation, advocacy, and activism. For example, young people can take on leadership roles in virtual communities, managing groups and events and mediating conflicts, while also engaging more fully in democratic discussions and processes.

Click on the picture to watch Tommi Tossavainen's clip on YouTube.

Juergen Baensch is the Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs at Video Games Europe. In the video clip that follows, Juergen reflects on the opportunities virtual worlds can present for young people with regard to the video gaming industry. More specifically, video games using virtual world technologies can:

• Contribute to young people's social well-being, by providing social interaction and a sense of community. For example, during the pandemic, video games allowed players to stay in touch with friends and family while being physically isolated.
• Empower children to exercise their rights through virtual communities, such as the Right to access to information (Art. 17), and the Right to play and participate in cultural and artistic arts (Art. 31).
• When utilised in an educational context, these video games can increase the acquisition of digital skills for both pupils and educators, helping to reduce the gender gap and early school leaving. Therefore, investing in building a talent pipeline for the future should be an EU priority to help children acquire the necessary digital skills.

Click on the picture to watch Juergen Baensch's clip on YouTube.

Ouassima Belmoussi is a Policy Officer with a focus on gaming at the helpline OffLimits (part of the Dutch Safer Internet Centre), as well as a game influencer with extensive, first-hand experience in the field. In the video clip that follows, Ouassima shares her views on virtual worlds in gaming and the challenges they can present for young people. To give some examples, the most common challenges include: 

• Content moderation: as online games' chats are often unmoderated, young users can come across cyberbullying, hate speech, sexual harassment, and more.
• Scams and malware are among the materials shared as part of the game.
• Privacy: from their gaming profiles, users can easily be tracked on various social media platforms, which may contain personal/sensitive information.
• Grooming, as a lot of online predators are active on platforms where young people are engaged.
• Excessive screen time which can have negative effects on mental health (for example, increased anxiety).

Click on the picture to watch Ouassima's clip on YouTube.

Isabelle Hupont-Torres works at the Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and has conducted extensive research on the topic of AI and next-generation virtual words. In the video clip that follows, Isabelle refers back to the first JRC report on Virtual Worlds Next Generation Virtual Worlds: Societal, Technological, Economic and Policy Challenges for the EU and reflects on the major challenges associated with virtual worlds for children and young people, addressing concerns such as:

• Privacy and data security, with new types of personal data breaches and misuses.
• Exposure to inappropriate content and the need for new content moderation, filtering and monitoring mechanisms.
• Cyberbullying and online harassment, including the need to educate children, parents and guardians about responsible online behaviour.
• Addiction and screen time. 
• Identity and representation issues, including possible identity theft and misrepresentation.
• Ensuring equal access to technology for all.

Click on the picture to watch Isabelle Hupont-Torres' clip on YouTube.

As always, no activity under the umbrella of Better Internet for Kids (BIK) would be complete without hearing reflections from young people directly. As part of the recent panel discussion on virtual worlds, BIK Youth Ambassadors Karl (Ireland), Mae (Ireland), and Marianna (Greece) joined to share their views. Gain an insight into their opinions below.

Do you have any experience with virtual world technologies? How about at school?

Click on the picture to watch the young people's insights into their experiences with virtual world technologies on YouTube.

How can we communicate the benefits of virtual world technologies?

Click on the picture to watch the young people's insights on how to communicate about the benefits of virtual world technologies on YouTube.

Do you think young people only consider the risks of virtual worlds when things ‘go wrong’?

Click on the picture to watch the young people's insights on the risks of virtual world technologies on YouTube.

In addition to the virtual world panel discussion outlined in the above sections, we've been continuing the focus through other areas of Better Internet for Kids (BIK) activity.

On 6 June 2024, we explored virtual worlds and immersive realities in a BIK Teacher corner webinar. Some of the key developments in recent years revolve around artificial intelligence (AI), with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) applications emerging in all sectors of society, such as leisure, health, and especially learning, training and education. Such technologies entail both great opportunities and concerning risks.  

How can teachers and educators be empowered with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the implications of immersive realities in educational settings?

Watch the recording of the webinar here, and find more information about previous webinars here. 

In addition, the latest deep dive resource in the BIK Teacher corner further explores the opportunities and risks that these technologies present to children and young people.

Immersing yourself in virtual reality (VR) is no longer just for wealthy tech enthusiasts. VR goggles are increasingly becoming affordable, the range of VR games and applications continues to grow and, as can be seen in the discussions above, next-generation virtual worlds are no longer futuristic concepts. While VR goggles may not yet be widely used in the average household, that could be set to change in the near future, bringing new challenges for parents and caregivers.

The German Safer Internet Centre, klicksafe, summarises the most important information about VR games and provides information for parents and caregivers whose children are already using VR today.

Read the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal. 

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the types of calls received and this is analysed every three months in order to look at possible trends and emerging issues. The most recent helpline data covers the period from January to March 2024. 

During this quarter, there were over 16,500 contacts made to the network. Almost 60 per cent of contacts come from teenagers, and almost 60 per cent of all contacts are from those identifying as female. Teenagers (aged from 12 to 18) are the group which makes the most use of Insafe helpline services and, of course, for many helplines, these young people are the main target audience. Around 7.5 per cent of contacts were received from 5–11-year-olds – representing an increase of 3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. Contacts from parents are also significant, accounting for 28 per cent of the total.

This reporting period saw several helplines reporting an increase in contacts relating to e-crime, which is defined as chain emails, phishing sites, identity theft, fraud, data theft, copyright infringement, hacking, piracy, and so on. This category has been accounting for an increasing percentage of contacts over the last couple of years, and there has been a rise of 2 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.

Cyberbullying remains the most common reason for contacting a helpline with over 13 per cent of contacts concerning this.

Six per cent of contacts concerned excessive digital use during this reporting period – this represents the highest proportion of calls concerning this issue, and it has risen by 2 percentage points since Q1 of 2023.

An infographic is also available which showcases the key information from this reporting period:

Click on the picture to see the main reasons for contacting the Insafe helplines
between January and March 2024.

Read more about helpline statistics in the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal.

Infographic credit: EUN/Better Internet for Kids

The first quarter of 2024 saw a significant volume of activity among INHOPE EC-funded hotlines, reflecting a concerted effort to combat online child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

During this quarter, 29 EC co-funded hotlines received a total of 287,916 reports from the public regarding URLs containing potentially illegal content. The vast majority of this figure encompasses unique reports that had not been previously actioned, with only 4,678 duplicate reports received. It's important to note that each hotline has its own criteria for defining duplicates, such as the same URL, image, or timeframe for comparison, which can affect the overall reporting numbers.

A significant portion of the reports received, 59.35 per cent, were identified as CSAM, marking an increase from the previous quarter. During the quarter, EC-funded hotlines received a staggering total of 172,096 reports related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). This comprehensive figure includes various types of harmful content. Among these reports, 2,863 were identified as self-generated content and 1,503 reports were categorised as non-self-generated content.

Additionally, the hotlines also dealt with 1,073 reports involving sexualised posing, modelling, or other inappropriate images of children and 1,168 reports of computer-generated CSAM, which includes manga, drawings, and animations depicting abusive scenarios.

Read more about hotline statistics in the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal.

Discover more about the work of INHOPE at www.inhope.org. 

On 12 April 2024, the European Youth Week kick-off event was held at the European Parliament in Brussels. Better Internet for Kids (BIK), in collaboration with DG CNECT and the Publications Office of the EU, co-hosted a session titled ‘Check your facts! The power of digital skills, critical thinking, and open data.’ BIK Youth Ambassadors Diya from Finland and Joana from Portugal were panellists during the session, sharing their views and emphasising the importance of digital literacy and critical thinking. Read more on Diya’s and Joana’s insights.

Looking ahead, the summer months offer multiple opportunities to celebrate youth empowerment and active participation. Two international days highlight young people’s contributions and emphasise the importance of equipping them with the skills and opportunities needed to thrive: World Youth Skills Day and International Youth Day.

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day. This day underscores the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. It highlights the significance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in providing youth with essential skills, and bridging the gap between education and employment.

Every year on 12 August, the United Nations commemorates International Youth Day (IYD), a day dedicated to celebrating and mainstreaming young people’s voices, actions, and initiatives. IYD brings youth issues to the forefront of the international community and underscores the importance of youth as partners in today’s global society.

Another exciting initiative is the kick-off preparation for the youth-led Safer Internet Forum (SIF). A group of young people from various countries have already met this week to get to know each other and familiarise themselves with their tasks and plans. This preparation sets the stage for productive work ahead. Stay tuned for further updates on the BIK Youth Panel 2024, which will include an international youth panel from non-EU countries and the SIF Youth Advisory Group.

Below, you can find more on Safer Internet Forum 2024, and registration information will be shared in the next edition of the BIK bulletin.

The internet offers children and young people many empowering opportunities for personal growth, learning, and social exchange. However, along with these great benefits can come certain risks, including children facing content or services that may be harmful to them.

Age assurance is one solution that can be used to keep children safe from online risks. In recent years, research has been undertaken to investigate and analyse different measures for age assurance online. As part of comprehensive EU efforts, as enshrined in the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids+ (the BIK+ strategy), the European Commission recently published a research report, Mapping age assurance typologies and requirements, that examines various types of age assurance and outlines ten essential requirements to consider when implementing age assurance tools.

However, effective implementation of age assurance remains a complex endeavour. Since any approach must be case- and context-sensitive, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. So far, there are few practical guidelines to determine whether age assurance is a proportionate measure, and how best it can be implemented to put the rights and interests of children and young people first.

To support and expand the implementation of proportionate age assurance methods, building on the EC’s latest research report, the Better Internet for Kids initiative has launched a self-assessment guide, the BIK age assurance self-assessment tool (and corresponding questionnaire), helping digital service providers to critically reflect on their digital services and how these may intersect with the protection of children and young people online. It offers practical guidance to digital services providers throughout the self-assessment process, providing relevant questions about age assurance to attain a robust and critically reflected decision-making process regarding the protection of minors online.

Learn more about the tool in the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal, or download the BIK age assurance self-assessment tool manual and questionnaire here.

Please note: The self-assessment tool is provided as guidance and not as a legal compliance mechanism, including compliance under the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), Digital Services Act (DSA), or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It should be used in a context-specific way, in relation to the particularities associated with a given digital service.

The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Policy Monitor (previously the BIK Policy Map) has been tracking how European countries support children’s and young people’s digital experiences since 2014. Since its launch a decade ago, the main objective of this series has been to compare and exchange knowledge on policies and actions that promote children's safety and well-being in the digital environment based on the recommended measures of the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (the BIK strategy). Along with changes in the digital environment, the strategy has also evolved and was relaunched as the BIK+ strategy in May 2022. In May 2024, as BIK+ celebrated its second anniversary, the fifth report of this series was released to mark this important milestone.

In the 2024 edition, the BIK Policy Monitor Report assesses the state of digital policies against the background of significant changes in the legislative and regulatory landscape. The report highlights progress as well as gaps in BIK+ policies, details actions taken under the BIK+ framework, and showcases the BIK+ strategy in practice across all 27 EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.

In doing so, this high-level comparative report constitutes one of the four annually updated key features informing the policy work at the EU and national levels that will be launched in the context of the new Better Internet for Kids Knowledge Hub in the second half of 2024 (see more below on the redevelopment of the BIK platform). All of these outputs process and make available the contributions and data collected with the support of a network of national contacts, comprising representatives of the Expert Group on Safer Internet for Children and Safer Internet Centres in the Member States.

Read more about the BIK Policy Monitor in an article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal, or download the full publication - The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Policy Monitor Report 2024 - here.

More information on the history of BIK policy mapping, including the four previous reports, is available here.

The menABLE project has recently launched the menABLE Toolbox «Ctrl+Alt+GBV», a comprehensive educational tool designed to address gender-based violence (GBV) and foster meaningful discussions on gender and identity among young people aged 13-18.

The menABLE Toolbox includes a variety of interactive elements such as dilemmas, quiz questions, and challenges. Dilemmas and quiz questions are conducted through an engaging digital platform, while the more extensive challenges are carried out using physical means.

Whether you are an educator looking for innovative teaching materials or a young person eager to learn more about gender and gender-based violence, this resource is designed to meet your needs. Access the menABLE Toolbox to stimulate reflection, spark debates, and provide concrete actions for young people navigating these critical issues. 

Image credit: menABLE project

The annual European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) took place from 17-19 June 2024 in Vilnius (Lithuania), under the overarching theme of Balancing innovation and regulation. 

On Tuesday, 18 June 2024, an Insafe delegation co-hosted a workshop session on protecting vulnerable groups online from harmful content – new (technical) approaches. 

Protecting vulnerable groups (such as children, young people, women and migrants) from online harm while avoiding mass surveillance and restrictions on free speech is a huge challenge for industry, internet providers, regulators, and users. New technologies, and especially artificial intelligence (AI) tools, could help to automatically identify inappropriate content for children and block access to that content for child users, while issues such as disinformation and grooming remain a concern. Through dynamic discussion with the audience, a number of key areas were covered during the workshop session:

• Type of content.
• New technical approaches.
• Establishing good practices.
• Intervention by political authorities.
• Supporting vulnerable groups.
• Multistakeholder approaches.

An article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal summarises the key takeaways under each point of the discussion.  

The Greek Safer Internet Centre, SaferInternet4Kids of FORTH, conducted a survey on teenagers (12-18) between November 2023 and March 2024 on the subject of online violence. The study revealed that over half of the teenagers have been exposed to online violence either as bystanders or as victims.

Read the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal. 

At the 16th Dolenjska Entrepreneurship Challenge, young people from the south-east part of Slovenia became youth ambassadors and took on the challenge “Online world - our safe world”. The Slovenian Safer Internet Centre shares highlights from the initiative.

Read the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal.

Unattainable beauty ideals are putting young people under increasing pressure. How can parents support their children in dealing with this? The Austrian Safer Internet Centre shares tips for parents and caregivers.

Read the full article on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal.

Can you believe the BIK+ strategy has just turned two? Launched in May 2022, one of its recommendations is to carry out a European Union-wide evaluation of the strategy every two years. The evaluation will involve consultations with various stakeholders, including young people and children, parents and caregivers, teachers, and expert stakeholders.

To support this key area of work, we are launching an open call for expressions of interest from expert organisations to conduct consultations with children and young people younger than 12 years of age and from various vulnerable backgrounds. Participating organisations will be provided with an established consultation methodology to ensure consistency of approach.

Further information on the open call for expert organisations can be found here.  

The deadline for receipt of applications (by email) is 18:00 CEST on Wednesday, 31 July 2024.

In case of questions, please reach out to BIKevaluation@eun.org. Interested expert organisations may email questions until Wednesday, 17 July 2024. Answers will be provided by Wednesday, 24 July 2024.

The Better Internet for Kids portal is currently being redeveloped. Set to launch during the autumn season, the new site will have a more appealing and accessible design, and a more user-friendly interface. We are also expanding the scope of the platform to provide new content and services to better meet the needs of different stakeholder groups including a new BIK Knowledge hub and new learning corners.

We'll bring you more news on our social channels (X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn) in the coming months.

Image credit: EUN/Better Internet for Kids

We invite you to already save the date for Safer Internet Forum (SIF) 2024, which will take place in a hybrid format in Brussels and online on Thursday, 21 November 2024. 

This year's edition will focus on pillar one of the BIK+ strategy: safe digital experiences and, more specifically, protection from age-inappropriate content. The event will seek to take stock of the new Digital Services Act (DSA) rules and their implementation. It will also consider the risks of exposure to harmful and violent content online, and the tools and strategies that are currently available to mitigate them.

Registration will open in early September; in-person attendance will be by invitation only, while anyone is welcome to join online. Once live, further registration information will be shared on our social channels (X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn).

Image credit: EUN/Better Internet for Kids

Save the date for Safer Internet Day (SID) 2025. It will be marked by a global day of focus on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, and with events and activities taking place throughout the whole month, across Europe and the globe!

Since the last edition of the BIK bulletin, a panel of BIK youth representatives have been working alongside professional designers to scope the development of a new Safer Internet Day mascot. Stay tuned for more in the September edition of the BIK bulletin, where we'll introduce the new mascot and share some insights into all the hard work that's gone into it.

#SID2025 campaigning efforts will start ramping up from that point too.

Image credit: EUN/Better Internet for Kids