Policy frameworks
The European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK) has been incorporated as part of wider national public policies in Latvia. Relevant policy frameworks include the Information Society Development Guidelines for 2014-2020, the current National eGovernment strategy which includes policy planning and specific tasks and actions related to BIK strategy goals such as the teaching of digital literacy and online safety in schools and the promotion of positive online experiences for young children. The Ministry of Culture has also developed Mass Media Policy Guidelines of Latvia 2016-2020, integrating media literacy education in several actions. Finally, changes have been made to the Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Latvian Administrative Violations Law, Law on the Protection of Children's Rights, Law on Pornography Restrictions, Social Services and Social Assistance Law, Law on State Compensation to Victims and Law on the Press and Other Mass Media to implement the provisions of Directive 2011/92/EU.
Policy design
Policy design is distributed across four to six ministries. Policy design is led at ministerial level in relation to educational policies and in terms of legislation and law enforcement against child sexual abuse and exploitation. Coordination between stakeholders is informal. The Latvian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) is the main body implementing BIK strategy pillars in Latvia and engages closely with relevant responsible ministries for the purposes of policy development on BIK. There is no regular data collection on BIK. However, the Department of Media and Communications, University of Latvia actively participates in EU-wide research, including EU Kids Online.
Policy actors
The Safer Internet Centre has the leading role in carrying out activities or measures to implement BIK-related policy. Government ministries, other public bodies and industry play a complementary role in delivering BIK outcomes. The Latvian SIC has established a youth panel comprising 11 young people, aged 12-19. The Latvian SIC consults on a regular basis with the youth panel addressing different questions from voting for the most appropriate educational materials and methods to discussing new EC policies.
Breadth of activities
Breadth of activities outlines progress made in Member States delivering initiatives at the national level. Using the full range of recommendations contained in the BIK strategy, the following tables highlight which actions are supported and whether they have increased, stayed the same or decreased in prominence in the last three years for each of the BIK pillars.