Answer given by Ms Gabriel on behalf of the European Commission(16 April 2019)Protecting minors online requires a multidisciplinary and transnational approach.The European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK)The ‘Strategy for a Better Internet for Children’ proposes actions to be undertaken jointly by the Commission, Member States and Industry (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0196:FIN:EN:PDF) sets out a series of actions for online safety, including legislation, self-regulation and support for the Safer Internet Centre networks (INSAFE and INHOPE). In 2017, INHOPE processed nearly 90 000 URLs that depicted child sexual abuse material, of which around 62% was removed within 3 daysThe 2018 report will be available in early summer, http://www.inhope.org/gns/home.aspx.In 2018, the Commissioner responsible for Digital Economy and Society launched the #SaferInternet4EU campaignhttps://www.betterInternetforkids.eu/web/portal/saferInternet4eu on online safety, media literacy and cyber-hygiene. Moreover, the Commission set up a Member States Expert Group on Safer Internet for Childrenhttps://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/expert-group-safer-Internet-children.The Commission facilitates the ‘Alliance to better protect minors online’https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/alliance-better-protect-minors-online, a multi-stakeholder platform to improve the online environment through self-regulation, and supports the ‘We Protect Global Alliance to End Child Sexual Exploitation Online’www.weprotect.org. Directive 2011/93 criminalises offences such as online grooming and webcam sexual abuse. The Commission is currently assessing the conformity of Member States' transposition measures following the publication of two transposition reportsCOM(2016)871 and COM(2016)872..
Last updated: 16 April 2019