Greek Safer Internet Centre

About the organisation

The Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC) has the ultimate goal of promoting safer, responsible, and better use of the internet and mobile technologies among children and young people, interacting with all stakeholders to bridge the digital divide between home and school and between generations. It was launched in July 2016 under the auspices of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas and, in particular, the Institute of Computer Science.

It provides information, assistance and support to young and adult internet users by developing three distinct actions:

Awareness centre

Description:
Saferinternet4kids.gr aims to create public awareness and to provide reliable information to minors and their parents about the proper and safe use of online technologies. The Awareness Centre also provides supportive material to educators and social workers, in order for them to become multipliers of awareness messages within the classroom and beyond.
 
Screen shot of Greek Safer Internet Centre website
 Email address: contact@saferinternet4kids.gr Website: http://saferinternet4kids.gr Social media: https://www.facebook.com/SaferInternet4Kids-233337290392828 https://twitter.com/SaferInt4Kids https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyoFGbZi2XQnxwwI9C0A4KQ

Helpline

Description:

The Helpline of the Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC), 210 6007686, operates on working days from 9:00 to 17:00. It offers support via telephone, email and chat in cases of harmful content and conduct, such as excessive internet use, bullying or exposure to inappropriate online content. It primarily addresses minors, parents and educators, but can also be consulted by the general public, industry, government and public services.

Screen shot of the Greek Helpline website

 Email address: info@help-line.gr Website: http://www.help-line.gr Social media: https://www.facebook.com/help-linegr-163983246830/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9SHxgyHaY7flSH_Ih1BUCA

Hotline

Description:

SafeLine.gr is the Hotline for reporting illegal content and conduct on the internet. SafeLine's primary concern is the elimination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the internet and the fight against illegal content in general. SafeLine collaborates with internet service providers (ISPs), the Greek Research and Technology Network, the Greek School Network, and with the Greek police in order to restrict the flow of illegal online content and have it removed.

Screenshot from the Greek Hotline website

 Email address: contact@safeline.gr Website: http://www.safeline.gr Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Safeline-161410338270/ https://twitter.com/safeline_gr http://www.youtube.com/user/SafeLineGr

Youth participation

Description:
The Youth Panel of the Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC) is comprised of 27 students from all over Greece and the goal of its creation is to play an important role in establishing a quality and secure internet. From the very beginning, a meeting was inspired by the young people's concerns about whether they would receive the appropriate resources to become responsible digital citizens. The Youth Panel stole the show during the Safer Internet Day 2018 celebration event, held at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, analysing the difficult issue of the new GDPR regulation.
 
More generally, members of the Youth Panel participate in the actions of the Greek Safer Internet Centre, exchange views and receive training from events organised at a European level between the youth panels and the other awareness centres operating as part of the Insafe network.
 
The Youth Panel has issued two guides: one on online bullying where children's views are analysed, and one on personal data.
 
Greek Youth Panel

Key successes

The Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC), in its two years of operation, has strengthened the knowledge of parents, children and teachers for safe and quality web surfing. More than 100 sources have been created for all aspects of safe navigation, and these provide a very powerful tool for interactive learning in the hands of teachers and parents.
 
To give some examples:
  • A quiz page was created and regularly updated, earning 25,000 page views in less than six months.
  • A page for children has received 21,000 page views
  • An animated video for online safety has received approximately 25,000 views.
  • Sources have been created and used by groups such as children with special abilities, learning difficulties and people with hearing impairment.
  • Press releases issued by the SIC were hosted by a large number of media, which is a great help in raising awareness, while members of the SIC have a regular presence in television programmes and radio interviews.
  • The centre managed to mobilise a large number of schools, institutions and authorities to participate in the celebrations of Safer Internet Day (SID), thus sending a loud message to every corner of the country.
  • The participation of schools in the annual nationwide competitions organised by the centre under the auspices of the Ministry of Education on the occasion of Safer Internet Day exceeded all expectations. More than 400 schools took part and the prizes awarded prizes distinguished students were widely published through the country's media.
  • A meeting of the Advisory Board was very successful as it involved all stakeholders, while the issues discussed were of concern to the wider public.

Activities of the Greek Safer Internet Centre

Key partners/supporters

Many industry partners, institutions and other organisations support Safer Internet Day (SID) with awareness-raising events and activities, or resource launches, to help make the internet a safer and better place.

More specifically, the Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC) is supported by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Digital Policy Telecommunications and Media, the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities, the Panhellenic School Network, and the Greek Church.

Advisory Board members include:
 
Ministries
  • Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs
  • Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media
The Greek Police
  • Cybercrime Division
  • Forensics Department
The internet industry
  • Google-Hellas
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Internet service providers
  • Cosmote
  • Wind
  • Vodafone
  • Nova
Non-governmental organisations
  • UNICEF
  • Together for children
  • Omprela
  • National Commission for Human Rights
The academic community
  • National Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Law
  • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Law
  • University of the Aegean
  • National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Psychology
  • National Center for Science Research "Demokritos" 
Others
  • Hellenic Data Protection Authority
  • Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE)
  • The Archdioceses of Athens and Crete
  • Panhellenic School network
  • Hellenic Healthy Cities Network
  • Juvenile Probation Services
  • Consumers' protection organisation EKPIZO

Location: Heraklion, Crete, Greece Email address: contact@saferinternet4kids.gr Phone: 0030 6977405226 Website: http://saferinternet4kids.gr

Additional links/resources