BRUSSELS — European Union lawmakers have appropriated 55 million euros (approximately U.S. $70.9 million) to support “Safer Internet,” an initiative aimed at combating bullying and child pornography online.Between 2009 and 2013, the EU hopes to improve children’s safety online, promote awareness of the problem of child porn and create national centers for reporting illegal materials on the Web.
The EU parliament’s rush to approve the measure occurred after a flurry of police activity this summer. In August, German authorities began investigating about 1,000 people after they discovered a website depicting the abuse of two young girls. In September, after 10 students were gunned down at a Finnish school, the country’s officials demanded a video game depicting similar violence be removed from the Web.
In addition, recent studies have indicated European children now spend more time online than they do in any other environment except school. A Eurobarometer survey revealed 74-percent of children 12-15 surf the Web for three or more hours daily, and nearly all respondents admitted they had viewed pornography online. Many also reported they had been bullied online, bullied others or watched violent video clips.
“The most important part of the [Safer Internet] program is to establish a knowledge base by bringing together researchers engaged in child safety online at the European level,” Romanian Conservative lawmaker Csaba Sogor told CyberMedia India Online. “We foresee contact points and hotlines for reporting online illegal content and abusive conduct.”
Because the vote in favor of the new program was nearly unanimous — 672 votes for the measure versus nine against — Safer Internet is expected to be ratified by members states quickly.
