Belgian Safer Internet Center

ended

The Betternet II project ensures the continuation of the work of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre (SIC). The Belgian SIC is the outcome of the fruitful and long-lasting collaboration of Child Focus, Média Animation and Mediawijs, with the support of the Conseil Supérieur de l’éducation aux médias. Through an awareness center, a helpline and a hotline, we work together towards a better internet for all children in Belgium, supporting a conscious, confident, resilient and inclusive digital experiences. The awareness raising center equips parents, carers, teachers, educators and other professionals working with children with the tools, knowledge and information they need to promote media education and digital literacy to children. Pedagogical material, educative resources and training are offered to professionals and families to address and respond to emerging digital risks for children, with the aim of respecting, protecting and empowering them in the digital spaces. A helpline service is offered by Child Focus to children and their carers through the 116 000 free-of-charge number, available 24/7 to support and advice on e-safety issues or questions children face. Additionally, the www.cybersquad.be forum allows teenagers to mutually help and ask advices to their peers concerning their digital life; a chat service managed by Child Focus' helpline case managers is available to teens in case of need. Child Focus also manages the hotline though the civil contact point www.imagesdabus.be to anonymously report (potential) child sexual abuse material (CSAM) found online and by using the Arachnid web-crawler, to quickly detect and report CSAM found online. Betternet II will continue promoting media education, digital literacy and e-safety for all children in Belgium and advocate towards industry for the adoption of a safety-by-design approach to ensure children enjoy the internet at its fullest.