In a significant development, the Center for Safer Internet project has secured funding of over one million euros through a partnership agreement signed on Tuesday. Representatives from the Osje Center for Missing and Abused Children (CNZD), the company “A1”, and the University “Algebra” were present at the signing ceremony. The project will be co-financed with more than 50 percent of its value from EU funds.
The Center for a Safer Internet in Osijek, which has been operational since 2015, aims to enhance children’s safety online through preventive activities. Its three main areas of work include raising awareness about children’s internet safety, providing a “helpline” number for children facing peer violence, abuse or harmful behavior online and an anonymous reporting line for illegal internet content related to sexual abuse of children. The center received around 400 calls in its first five months alone, representing a 40 percent increase from the previous year.
Tomislav Ramljak, head of CNZD, highlighted that Croatia recorded 460 criminal acts exploiting children for pornography last year alone, indicating a significant increase. To combat this, CNZD plans to reach as many children, young people and parents as possible through prevention efforts. They aim to use artificial intelligence to assist children in using various internet services safely.
Dejan Turk, general director of A1 Hrvatska, mentioned that their company provides internet and mobile devices and is committed to creating a safer online environment by offering parent-child education programs within their branches in Zagreb. Their counseling center focuses on educating parents on how to protect their children from cyberbullying and other forms of harassment online.
Mislav Balković, rector of Algebra University explained that his institution joined the project due to its expertise in cybersecurity and education in that field. Algebra aims to provide information on how young people can stay safe online while also avoiding situations where they could be exploited even unknowingly by sharing educational resources with parents and students alike.
In conclusion, this partnership agreement marks a significant milestone in ensuring the continued success of the Center for Safer Internet project by bringing together key stakeholders who are committed to promoting safe internet usage among young people and others alike.
