EU: Internet, increased safety for children and young people. “Digital principles” and an online game

The European Commission is celebrating the 20th edition of Safer Internet Day aimed at children and young people around the world. To mark the occasion, the Commission has published a child-friendly version of the Better Internet Strategy in all EU official languages and in Ukrainian, the EU Commission announced in a statement. Brussels also released a child-friendly version of the Digital Principles Declaration and an online game on digital principles. “There are around 80 million people under 18 in the EU”, the Commission stressed. Over the past year, the EU has introduced a number of tools as the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, signed by the Presidents of the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council in December 2022. Last November, the Digital Services Act came into force, introducing “strict rules to safeguard the privacy, safety and security of minors”. Besides this, the European strategy for a better Internet for children (BIK+) will help develop age-appropriate digital services. “In all our work, we strive to ensure that children’s rights apply online, as they apply offline. We help build the digital and media literacy skills of children and adolescents together with them to ensure that they are fully and equally included in the digital transition, in the EU and globally”, said EU Commission Vice-President for Democracy Dubravka Šuica.
Irene Giuntella