Instituto Nacional de ciberseguridad. Sección Incibe

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SIC-SPAIN 4.0

Logo SIC-SPAIN 4

Funding, Work Program and Call

The SIC-SPAIN 4.0 Project (“Safer Internet Centre Spain 4.0”) is a project co-financed by the European Union (EU) through the Digital Europe program, under the DIGITAL-2023-DEPLOY-04-NETWORK-OF-SICs call.

This call continues the previous funding rounds from the CEF-Telecom and Digital Europe programs, including: Safer Internet (2015-CEF-TC-2015-1), Safer Internet (CEF-TC-2018-1), Safer Internet (CEF-TC-2020-1), and Safer Internet (DIGITAL-2021-TRUST-01-SAFERINTERNET), which have similar objectives. These programs enabled, first, the creation of the SIC (Safer Internet Centre) in Spain, known as Internet Segura For Kids (IS4K), and second, the establishment and consolidation of a public-private collaboration platform to promote safe Internet use.

Duration

The planned duration of the project is from June 2024 to November 2025, inclusive.

Motivation y Justification

The DIGITAL-2023-DEPLOY-04-NETWORK-OF-SICs call aims to support the Safer Internet Centres (SICs) across Europe in providing information about online safety, educational resources, awareness tools, and advisory and reporting services to minors, families, educators, and other professionals working with children and adolescents. The activities conducted by the SICs help minors face the risks of digital environments and become critical media thinkers, fostering their digital resilience. Moreover, it will continue to promote and strengthen anonymous reporting channels for child sexual abuse material online.

The funding will ensure the financial sustainability of the European network of SICs, enabling the Safer Internet Centre to provide the following services:

  1. Awareness: a center dedicated to developing digital skills linked to a safe, critical, and healthy online experience, raising awareness about emerging risks and challenges from technology use. Additionally, it will emphasize the active and leading role of young people in the digital society.
  2. Helpline: an online advisory and support service offering guidance to minors, families, educators, and other professionals on issues related to child protection in the digital environment.
  3. Hotline: a service aimed at reducing the availability of child sexual abuse material online, managing reports from citizens and other hotlines within the international INHOPE network, in collaboration with the Spanish Law Enforcement Agencies (FCSE) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Benefits

The main benefits of the SIC-SPAIN4.0 project are:

  • Expansion and improvement of nationwide outreach, working with children, young people, families, educators, and other relevant professionals to raise awareness about digital education and potential threats minors face when using the Internet and other technologies.
  • Coordination of a national public-private collaboration platform to cooperate on diagnosing and raising awareness of online risks.
  • Evolution of the Helpline 017, optimizing its performance through continuous improvement.
  • Contribution of the Spanish SIC to the implementation of the Digital Services Act in Spain and strengthening the presence of the Spanish SIC within the INSAFE and INHOPE networks through the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
  • Strengthened cooperation with strategic partners regarding the Hotline’s role in the fight against online child sexual abuse material.

Project objectives

The SIC-SPAIN4.0 consortium, led by INCIBE, aims to continue and expand the activities of the Spanish SIC over the next 18 months, promoting online opportunities and addressing risks with the goal of creating a safer digital environment for minors. The project focuses on the following key objectives:

  1. Continuation and strengthening of SIC services: SIC-SPAIN4.0 will continue and enhance awareness, helpline, and hotline services. In collaboration with strategic partners, diagnostics, awareness campaigns, training programs, and practical resources will be developed. The Youth Panel will continue to provide their perspectives, and new editions of Safer Internet Day will be celebrated. Priority will be given to the development of digital skills in cybersecurity and improving digital coexistence in schools. The 017 Cybersecurity Helpline will continue offering high-quality service while strengthening ties with collaborators and partners.
  2. Improvement of coordination: The national public-private consortium, led by INCIBE, will continue promoting initiatives across the national territory to improve child protection in the digital environment and achieve broader impact. The Advisory Council will work to align the SIC’s strategy and activities with both national and European objectives, with particular focus on contributing to the BIK+ Strategy and implementing the Digital Services Act framework.
  3. Strengthening of presence in specialized forums: INCIBE will continue contributing to international working groups and forums related to online safety and child protection, both in the pan-European INSAFE network and the international INHOPE network. The goal is to share experiences and knowledge that will support better service provision and public policy development to promote safe and responsible Internet use among minors in Spain.

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries of SIC-SPAIN4.0 will be minors, their families, educators, and other professionals working with them.