Launch of SIC-SPAIN 3.0, a project led by INCIBE and co-financed by the European Union with a budget of almost 3 million euros
This European collaborative initiative promotes the safe use of the Internet among Spanish children.
The project, led by INCIBE, the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute, which reports to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, aims to continue, expand and strengthen, until 28 February 2024, the actions of the Safer Internet Centre for Children in Spain, Internet Segura For Kids (IS4K), together with 12 other national partners that make up the SIC-Spain 3.0 consortium.
This project is co-funded by the European Union through the DIGITAL EUROPE funding program DIGITAL 2021- TRUST 01 call, with a budget of almost 3 million euros and although the early implementation started in March 2022, SIC-SPAIN 3.0 'Safer Internet Centre Spain 3.0' has recently signed the grant agreement.
These initiatives seek to empower and protect children for a safe and responsible use of the Internet, through the development of awareness-raising and training initiatives for children and young people themselves, but also for their reference environments (families, educators and professionals working with minors), counselling through a free and confidential helpline, as well as an online child sexual abuse content reporting line (CSAM), in addition to the annual Safer Internet Day and the promotion of a panel of young people who are actively involved in improving cybersecurity for children and youth.
SIC-SPAIN 3.0 gives continuity to previous projects since 2016, linked to the Internet Security Centre which is focused on three objectives:
- Continuation and reinforcement of capacity building services: awareness raising and training, helpline and CSAM reporting channel.
- Continuation of a public-private consortium of key actors to improve coordination and increase impact at national level.
- Reinforcement of Spain's presence in working groups and forums on children and Internet safety, in the pan-European INSAFE network and in the international INHOPE network.
Consortium and partners
Based on public-private approach, the SIC-SPAIN 3.0 consortium is made up of 13 partners:
- INCIBE (Coordinator),
- Ministry of the Interior,
- Media Users’ Association,
- Empantallados,
- Fundation Cibervoluntarios,
- Gaptain,
- ICmedia,
- Fundation Aprender a Mirar y su entidad afiliada Associació de Consumidors de Mitjans, Audiovisuals de Catalunya,
- PantallasAmigas (Friendly Screens),
- Plataforma de Infancia (Platform for Childhood),
- University Complutense of Madrid,
- University of País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Universitatea,
- University of Rey Juan Carlos.
SIC-SPAIN 3.0 will carry out new diagnostics, continue to involve youth platforms and create awareness and training programmes for children, parents and educators. The consortium will strengthen and establish new relationships and promote a dialogue at national level with key actors for the coordination and deployment of these actions by different entities focused on awareness-raising, as well as the development of tools for a safer Internet for children.
Partnerships
Moreover, the project has the support of the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF), under the Ministry of the Education which, as a strategic partner of INCIBE, collaborates in the development of initiatives aimed at the educational community for the development of digital skills in cybersecurity and digital trust.
In addition, the Guardia Civil, under the Ministry of the Interior, will actively participate as a project partner and in coordination with the Spanish SIC in the consolidation of the reporting line and in awareness-raising activities. An online course for police officers will also be developed jointly with the Ministry of the Interior in the framework of the 'Master Plan for Coexistence and Improvement of Security in Schools and their Environment'.
The operations of the helpline, as well as the reporting line, will guide the design of specific awareness-raising campaigns and contribute to the capacity building of the European Strategy: Better Internet for Kids (BIK).
