<p class="pretitle">
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/activities/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/self_reg/index_en.htm<br></a></p>
<h1>Self regulation: responsible stakeholders for a safer Internet</h1>
<p class="intropara">They way children use the Internet and mobile technologies
has changed dramatically in the past years. At the same time, the internet can
open a wide range of opportunities for youngsters when used safely and
responsibly. In order to ensure that children, parents and teachers have access
to the right tools and information for a safe use of the internet and new
technologies, the Commission has always been a supporter of industry
self-regulation which enables industry to create a system by which they can deal
rapidly with any challenges that may araise.</p>
<p>Several self-regulation initiatives have been taken by the industry at
European level with the support of the European Commission.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<img src="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/images/icon_new.gif" border="0" height="22" width="35">Coalition to
make the Internet a better place for kids</h2>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">Read the European
Commission
<a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1485&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">
press release</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">The Coalition,
launched on 01 December 2011,
is a cooperative voluntary intervention designed to respond to emerging
challenges arising from the diverse ways in which young Europeans go online.
Companies signatories to the Coalition committed to take positive action
throughout 2012 in 5 areas: <b>simple tools for users to report harmful content
and contact, age-appropriate privacy settings, wider use of content
classification, wider availability and use of parental controls, effective take
down of child abuse material</b>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/docs/ceo_coalition_statement.pdf">Statement of
Purpose of the Coalition, including its Work Plan</a></p>
<h5 style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">Signatory
companies: Apple, BSkyB, BT, Dailymotion, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, France
Telecom - Orange, Google, Hyves, KPN, Liberty Global, LG Electronics, Mediaset, Microsoft, Netlog,
Nintendo, Nokia, Opera Software, Research In Motion, RTL Group, Samsung,
Sulake, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Telenor Group, Tuenti, Vivendi and Vodafone.</h5>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">Check
<a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/">Vice-President
Kroes' blog</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">You can send us
your comments and ideas on Twitter using the hash tag #BetterInternet4Kids</p>
<h5 style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">Check websites of
the Coalition members and their statements and commitments to online safety for
children</h5>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bt.com/safety">BT</a> and
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8icqbEdfGJ4">video</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/de/11398">
Deutsche Telekom</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/fbsafety?sk=notes">Facebook</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://forum.kpn.com/t5/News-stream/bg-p/News-stream">
KPN</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.tgcom24.it/">Mediaset</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.microsoft.eu/default.aspx?tabid=120">
Microsoft</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2011/nintendo_to_support_eu_initiative_on_making_the_internet_a_safer_place_for_kids_46957.html">
Nintendo</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.opera.com/press/releases/">Opera Software</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.orange.com/en_EN/responsibility/quality/index.jsp">
France Telecom - Orange</a> (EN)
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.orange.com/fr_FR/responsabilite/qualite/">
France Telecom Orange </a>(FR)</p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.rtlgroup.com/">RTL Group</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.telenor.com/en/news-and-media/press-releases/">
Telenor</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.publicpolicy.telefonica.com/blogs/blog/2011/11/30/the-ceo-coalition-one-step-ahead-to-achieve-a-better-internet-for-kids">
Telefonica</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.teliasonera.com/protectingchildrenonline">
TeliaSonera</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.jeanbernardlevy.com/1-decembre-2011-un-internet-plus-sur-pour-nos-enfants/">
Vivendi</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vodadfone.com/parents">Vodafone</a></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">Background</h4>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">The way children
in Europe use the internet and new technologies has changed dramatically in the
past years. On average, children in Europe now start going online when they are
seven. 38% of 9 to 12 year olds who are online say they have a social networking
profile, in spite of age restrictions. More than 30% of children who go online
do so from a mobile device and 26% via game consoles.</p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">In this context,
in order to ensure that children, parents and teachers can take advantage of all
the benefits offered by the internet and new technologies and have a safe online
experience, the Commission has initiated a coalition from all sectors of the ICT
industry. Coalition members have also committed to working in a participative
manner and engaging with interested parties such as child welfare and consumer
NGOs, under the auspices of the European Commission. </p>
<p style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;" align="center">The work plan of
the Coalition, annexed to the Statement of Purpose, contains deadlines and
performance indicators for each of these action points. The Coalition will
review its work in the summer of 2012 and establish by then what subsequent
review will be required.</p>
<h2>Safer Social Networking Principles for the EU </h2>
<p> <br>
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/social_networking/docs/sn_principles.pdf">
"The Safer Social Networking Principles for EU"</a> is a self-regulatory
agreement, which includes guidelines for the use of social networking sites by
children. This was voluntarily adopted by the industry in February 2009 <br>
</p>
<ul><li>
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/social_networking/eu_action/selfreg/index_en.htm">See list of
signatories</a> and find out more about the
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/social_networking/eu_action/selfreg/index_en.htm">
Safer Social Networking Principles for the EU</a></li></ul>
<p align="left">
The Commission committed to monitor the implementation of the Safer Social
Networking Principles for the EU and in 2011 it published the
<a target="_blank" href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/social_networking/eu_action/implementation_princip_2011/index_en.htm">findings of a
second independent assessment report </a>on the implementation of the Principles.</p>
<h2> European Framework for Safer Mobile use by Young Teenagers and Children
</h2>
<p>In 2007 mobile operators signed the
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/docs/mobile_2005/europeanframework.pdf">European Framework for Safer
Mobile use by Young Teenagers and Children</a>. The Framework describes
principles and measures that the signatories committed to implementing on the
national level throughout Europe by February 2008.</p>
<p>In June 2010 the GSM Europe association published the
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.gsmeurope.org/safer_mobile/implementation.htm">third
report</a> summarising the status of its implementation at
national level.</p>
<ul><li>
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/self_reg/phones/index_en.htm">See more on the European Framework
signature and implementation</a></li></ul>