Today, February 6, is being celebrated as “Safer Internet Day” (SID).
Over the years, SID has become a landmark event in the Online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004, & taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone, & is now celebrated in approximately 130 countries worldwide.
From cyberbullying to social networking, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.
Insafe is a European network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs). Every national Centre implements awareness & educational campaigns, runs a helpline, & works with youth to ensure an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder approach to creating a better Internet.
However, Safer Internet Day is also celebrated outside Europe. In 2009, the concept of Safer Internet Day Committees was introduced, “to strengthen the bonds with countries outside the network & invest in a harmonised promotion of the campaign across the world.” Around 100 global SID Committees now work closely with the Safer Internet Day Coordination Team, which is based at the heart of the European Union in Brussels.
Also, to mark the day, Google has launched a new Internet safety campaign. Google’s campaign is aimed at young as well as 1st-time Internet users & will highlight key product features of the company that can boost Online safety. Google will also promote the ‘Play Protect’ feature on Android which can help detect a malicious app.
Image Credit: saferinternetday.org
