Digital Children

The duration of the project ‘Digital Children’ (2024 – 2025) is 18 months and it ensures the work of the National Center for Safe Internet (NCSI). Funding by the European Union comes under the Digital Europe Program of the European Health and Digitization Executive Agency (HaDEA)’ to be able to support the work of the Illegal Content Hotline and the Child Online Safety Advisory Line 124 123 as well as the preventive and training activities of the Center.

Digital Children project is supported and co-funded by the British Council within the overall regional project of the Council called ‘Credible Local Voices’ implemented in Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic closely with NGOs, civil society organizations, independent cultural organizations, film festivals and research institutes. In Bulgaria activities specifically involve young people and school children focusing on building critical thinking skills and social inclusion, especially in an the area of fake news recognition and disinformation. Young people are also empowered and mentored to develop their own information sessions and campaigns relating their peers and communities.

The consortium of organizations implementing the activities of the ‘Digital Children’ project consists of the Parents Association, which is one of the founders of the Center in 2005, is the main coordinator, the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) and the National network for children (NNC).
The work of the consortium is of extreme importance at a time when Bulgaria continues to be one of the few countries in the EU that does not provide national funding for the only structure of its kind for the protection and support of Bulgarian children in the online space, although in practice the Center performs state policy and commitments of Bulgaria under several EU directives and Conventions.
The National Safe Internet Center (www.safenet.bg) maintains the Hotline for reporting harmful content and online crimes against children. Signals received by children and parents are processed and forwarded to the Directorate ‘Cybercrime’ at Fight against organized crime MD, of which the Center is a trusted partner, as well as to the other Safe Internet Centers in the EU.
NCSI also manages the Helpline 124 123 for children and parents, as well as a chat for it. In 2023, parents sought help by phone in 60% of cases. A quarter of the calls are related to prevention – parents asking how to protect their children and how to develop their skills in the digital space. The other consultations are mostly about reporting harmful content, online harassment, scams and threats, cracked and fake profiles and technical issues.

Funded by the European Union, co-funded & in cooperation with the British Council. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) or the British Council. Neither the European Union, HaDEA nor the British Council can be held responsible for them.