Draugiskas Internetas [Safer Internet]

This programme uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) to create a new national node for safety awareness in Lithuania. "Draugiskas internetas" has designed a media campaign to appeal to various age and social groups, and features a logo of a teddy bear and mouse pointer.

Based on the programme of the EC Information Society and Media Directorate-General, two projects will be implemented in Lithuania in 2005-2007:

1. Education of the society on the issues of a safe internet ("Safer Digital Lithuania"). Specifically, by providing practical advice about safe internet browsing, a website has been designed to teach visitors how to recognise illegal or harmful internet contents, encouraging reporting through a portal. Offered in Lithuanian and English, the site features links to free programmes for content/spam filtering.
2. Hotline implementation ("Hotline Lithuania") - one can report illegal information they have noticed online - on the website, click here for that web page. This information is then filtered and communicated to responsible institutions. At present 23 hotlines are working in 21 countries (mostly in the European Union, or EU) which have joined the INHOPE Association. In this sense, community participation is a key means of sharing information designed to protect children and young people from potentially harmful online content. On October 17 2005, the Lithuanian hotline became the member of INHOPE.

Children, Youth, Rights, Technology.

Partners held a press conference in August 2005 to present their programme and reveal research that shows an increasing number of children and younger teenagers are going online. TNS Gallup research has shown that 63% of Lithuanian children and teenagers use the internet. One-third of 7- to 10-year-old children start browsing the internet; 5% are less than 7 years old. The research also showed that, although parents know very little about safety on the internet, they understand that the issue is important.

Organisers indicate that the issue of internet safety and the launch of the Safer Internet programme have attracted a lot of media attention and provoked discussion in Lithuanian society.