7 Safer use of the Internet
| (a) (27999) 14933/06 COM(06) 661
(b) (28000) 14937/06 COM(06) 663 |
Commission Communication: Implementation of the multi-annual Community Programme on promoting safer use of the Internet and new online technologies (Safer Internet plus)
Commission Communication: Final evaluation of the implementation of the multi-annual Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks
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| Legal base | — |
| Documents originated | 6 November 2006
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| Deposited in Parliament | 13 November 2006
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| Department | Trade and Industry
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 12 January 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | To be determined
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared, but further information requested
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Background
7.1 The Community has been involved since 1999 in programmes to
promote safer use of the Internet and encourage, at European level,
an environment favourable to the development of the Internet.
7.2 The Commission's "Safer Internet Plus"
programme:
- builds on the 1999-2002 "Safer
Internet" programme by promoting self-help and self-regulatory
mechanisms for combating illegal and harmful material on the Internet;
- broadens the activity thus far to cover more
types of online material (e.g. race and violence) and new technological
challenges (broadband, 3G mobile phones);
- increases cooperation between like-minded countries
wishing to control spam, and between them and countries where
spam enters global networks; and
- encourages new Member States to adopt the same
approach to achieving online safety.
7.3 Over the period 2005-08, "Safer Internet
Plus" will provide €45 million for:
- establishing hotlines for reporting
illegal or harmful online material;
- assessing the performance of filtering software;
- developing website rating systems;
- combating spam;
- encouraging self-regulatory cooperation among
industry and other stakeholders; and
- promoting awareness among children, parents and
educators.
The Commission Communications
7.4 The first Communication (document (a)) describes
how Decision 854/2005/EC —which created the Safer Internet
plus Programme, and which requires an implementation report by
mid-2006 at the latest — was established and the monies
allocated by the programme until the end of 2008 (€45m in
total). It describes the four main actions used to promote the
safer use of the Internet and new online technologies for children,
and to fight against unwanted and illegal content:
- fighting against illegal content;
- tackling unwanted and harmful content;
- promoting a safer environment; and
- raising awareness.
7.5 The Communication describes how the Work Programme
was devised: 59 proposals received, of which those finally selected
included 16 hotlines (in 15 countries); 16 awareness
nodes (bodies that organise the awareness activities within
a Member State) across the EU, and thematic networks for
User Empowerment, Self-Regulation and Media.
7.6 In addition, the Commission established the Safer
Internet Forum, to provide a focal point for discussion between
Member States on specific Internet issues such as child safety
and to encourage action on illegal, unwanted and harmful content.
In 2005 the main topic was Child Safety and Mobile Phones; in
2006 it extended to children's use of new media and blocking access
to images of sexual abuse of children.
7.7 The Communication also reports on the Safer
Internet Days. In February 2005 the Commission hosted a day
to launch a storytelling competition on safe use of Internet which
attracted representatives from both the private and public sectors
in 30 countries. In February 2006 a similar event was held attracting
100 organisations from 37 countries to discuss how the established
hotlines and awareness nodes could be improved.
7.8 The Communication notes the Commission intention
to extend the geographical reach of the hotlines and awareness
nodes and foster closer cooperation between stakeholders across
the range of Safer Internet activities with the aim of helping
European citizens to access practical advice on using the Internet
safely and raising awareness of the programme in general. It concludes
that the success points have been:
- the increasing number of reports
of illegal content to hotlines;
- the increasing prominence of awareness nodes;
and
- the well-attended Safer Internet Days.
7.9 The second Communication concerns the evaluation
of the Safer Internet Action Plan during its last two years (2003-4):
originally from 1999 to 2002 with a budget of €25 million
but extended at the request of the Council and the European Parliament
to the end of 2004 with an additional budget of €13.3 million.
7.10 The extended programme was implemented through
three action lines:
- creating a safer environment
through establishing a network of hotlines where end-users can
report illegal content and also by encouraging self-regulation
and codes of conduct;
- developing filter and rating systems; and
- encouraging awareness actions.
7.11 During the extended period the programme was
extended to cover new on-line technologies such as mobile and
broadband content, online games and peer-to-peer file transfer.
7.12 The mechanism for implementing this programme
was the co-funding of 52 projects involving 105 organisations
from 22 Member States: the establishment of 22 hotlines; 25 awareness
nodes: 1 for research for media education; 1 for a quality labelling
scheme (a self-regulatory scheme for tackling spam); and 1 for
rating online games.
7.13 Evaluation of the programme was done between
February and May 2006 by a panel of 3 independent experts supported
by a team of professional evaluators. It looked at the relevance
of the programme objectives, priorities and means of implementation,
the effectiveness and impact of the programme, its cost effectiveness,
its utility and sustainability and lessons learnt. The findings
are as follows:
- the programme has been successfully
implemented, and that the management and attribution of grants
was transparent and efficient;
- the programme was seen by all stakeholders as
relevant and effective and showed that Europe was offering global
leadership;
- the hotlines' launch was seen as the main achievement;
with evidence that the majority were offering a relevant and effective
service;
- the development of awareness nodes was successful
and also seen by stakeholders as being crucially needed; and
- filtering technologies were seen by stakeholders
as an area of growing importance.
7.14 The evaluation also concluded that in nearly
all areas of the programme there was more that could have been
done. In particular the Communication notes that awareness of
hotlines and awareness nodes was found to be low and that poor
progress was made in developing filtering technologies and rating
systems.
7.15 Finally the Communication lists seven Recommendations:
- increase the visibility and
awareness of the hotlines;
- improve coordination between hotlines and national
authorities;
- awareness raising should be targeted more intelligently;
- programmes should involve children in identifying
problems and designing solutions;
- end-user awareness of options for filtering harmful
content should be increased;
- industry self-regulatory solutions (e.g. on such
issues as content labelling and age verification) should be encouraged
at European level; and
- future technological developments, and in particular
converged services, should be analysed in terms of their implications
for the safety of children.
7.16 The Commission says that it will take note
of the evaluation findings in designing and developing future
programmes. The Commission also invites the Council and European
Parliament to support them in their endeavours to promote the
visibility of the Safer Internet Programme and to examine future
activities in light of new technologies.
The Government's view
7.17 In her 12 January 2007 Explanatory Memorandum,
the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions (Margaret Hodge)
says that she is supportive of the overall objectives of the Safer
Internet Programmes initiated by the Commission. The protection
of children and minors while online remains a key Government objective,
going as far back as supporting the creation of the Internet Watch
Foundation (IWF) in 1996, which she says influenced European thinking
on the issue of a Safer Internet and in turn led to the launch
of the original Safer Internet Programme in 1999. She continues
as follows:
"The IWF was essentially the first 'hotline'
in the EU allowing the reporting of child abuse images and continues
to be influential and helpful in the creation of others around
the world. Since 1997 the IWF has been influential in overseeing
a reduction in child abuse images hosted in the UK as a percentage
of global content from 18% in 1997 to 0.4% in 2006.
"The Government is also supportive of the co-regulatory
approach encouraged by the Commission through these Programmes.
Tackling such serious and complex issues as child abuse images
and harmful content necessitates close working between all the
various stakeholders rather than simply through legislation. This
has been especially apparent through the voluntary arrangements
that Internet Service Providers have entered into to block sites
identified by the IWF as hosting child abuse images.
"The Government therefore welcomes the continuing
work of the Commission in overseeing the Safer Internet Programmes
reported on by these Communications. From the analysis of the
implementation of the Safer Internet Plus Programme it would seem
that the establishment of hotlines and awareness nodes continues
to spread across the EU to the benefit of all concerned. The fact
that the hotlines are receiving a growing number of reports of
illegal content (over 534 000 in 2005) suggests a continuing need.
"However, we are concerned that awareness of
such nodes and hotlines has been inadequate and that there has
been insufficient involvement of children in the programmes. The
Communications indicate to an extent that too much attention has
probably been paid in Member States to the creation of mechanisms
for reporting rather than on education and awareness of the actual
problem. As a result we will endeavour to make sure that the continuing
programme addresses awareness and educational issues".
Conclusion
7.18 Of the €45 million budget, €24.95
million has been allocated to the period 2007-2008. Although the
Commission says nothing about it, we presume that the programme
will be subject to a final evaluation. As the Minister notes,
the challenge now is to ensure that the programme addresses awareness
and educational issues. Given the level of public concern about
the dangers, as well as the opportunities, posed for children
by the Internet, we are reluctant to wait until sometime in 2009
for a further report. We should therefore be grateful if the Minister
would write again in a year's time with her assessment of the
extent to which the sort of rebalancing that she, and we, would
wish to see has been achieved.
7.19 We now clear the documents.
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