Safer internet day celebrated in Europe today
- Safer Internet Day – Social Networking Sites sign EU agreement
- European Parliament gives strong support for a new EU Safer Internet Programme
- EU to spend €55 million to make internet safer for children
- A safer Internet for everyone, especially children
- Lack of services for reporting internet abuse
- Vodafone offers a safer internet experience for families
- Melita offering free multiplayer games online
- Online paedophilia almost doubles in just two years
- Vodafone launches new improved on-line portal
- Paedophilia on the internet increases again worldwide
- HSBC wins award for best internet banking
- Survey shows that majority of enterprises have computer & internet access
- Vodafone wins Best Report Award in CR Reporting Awards
- Church to investigate child abuse reports
- ‘Europeana’ Europe’s Digital Library now open
As Safer Internet Day is celebrated throughout European countries today, study shows that 50% of teenagers post personal information on the web without always being aware of the consequences.
A year after the commission brokered a safer internet deal with 18 leading web companies, a progress report shows mixed results.
Under the voluntary agreement, the companies promised to put in place safeguards to protect children using any of 25 social networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Two other firms joined them in June.
A year on, most companies now offer the option to block users, remove unwanted content and decide who can view what. The majority also provide safety tips targeted to minors, although in some cases the information is either difficult to find or hard to understand.
But the commission report, marking Safer Internet Day, also shows that more than half the companies have not followed through on promises to ensure the default setting for online profiles and contact lists is “private” for users under 18. Moreover, many sites still allow search engines to find profiles of minors. And while most sites now provide a link for users to report harassment, few routinely respond to complaints.
“Last year the European commission urged companies to act, and I am glad that many have heeded this call,” information society commissioner Viviane Reding said. “However, I expect all companies to do more.”
A separate study by the European information security agency recommends ways to minimise the risks of posting information online.
Social networking sites are increasingly popular, especially among young people. These digital warehouses of private information encourage users to feel that they’re among a close set of friends when in fact there could be millions of people reading about them. But users run the risk of strangers, including online advertisers and sexual predators, gaining access to them.
The EU is concerned with internet safety because privacy and protection of personal data are rights enshrined in European law.
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