SIC+ programme: Brazil - SaferNet Brasil

SaferNet Brasil, an NGO in Brazil, established a multistakeholder approach to protecting human rights in the digital environment. It works as a Safer Internet Centre and coordinates actions on three fronts of online protection:
- The National Human Rights Cybertipline, operated in partnership with Public Prosecutors to strengthen actions against cybercrimes targeting human rights.
- The National Web-based Helpline offers one-to-one conversations online with professional counsellors and provides support for children, young people and families about online safety.
- The Brazilian awareness node has more than 15 years of experience in capacity-building programmes for educators, young people, legislators, policymakers, and social workers.

Currently, the Skills for Safety and Digital Citizenship project (https://cidadaniadigital.org.br) supports public schools that want to implement a curriculum on these topics. It is a youth peer education project that has impacted over 215,000 teenagers all over Brazil since 2020. Additionally, publications, campaigns and other resources, particularly focusing on teenagers, youth, educators and parents, are regularly launched.

Since 2007, SaferNet’s Helpline (https://canaldeajuda.com.br) has provided guidance to parents, educators, and social workers on promoting online safety and self-protection behaviours. 2023 saw an increased number of reports concerning personal data issues, intimate image exposure, fraud/scams/phishing, cyberbullying/harassment, and mental Health. Notably, there was also a significant rise in reports of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) and hate speech last year.

In 2023, SaferNet’s Hotline received 71,867 new reports of online CSAM (child sexual abuse material), marking the highest report rate of this type of content in 18 years of operation of the National Center for Reporting Cybercrimes (www.denuncie.org.br). Reports of CSAM, combined with other online violations of human rights (particularly xenophobia and religious intolerance), also reached a historic peak last year, with a total of 101,313 unique reports.

A youth engagement programme, Digital Citzen, has been in place since 2020. It promotes educational activities to train teenagers and young people in digital citizenship topics, such as online safety, misinformation, digital well-being, respect and empathy. Over four editions, the programme has already impacted more than 215,000 students and 70,000 educators. The activities take place across the country and are mediated by young people through peer-to-peer education methodologies.