Cyprus Safer Internet Hotline - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Basic Information

The Cyprus Safer Internet Hotline is a service provided by the Cyprus Safer Internet Center project, coordinated by the Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute

Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute

The Cyprus Neuroscience & Technology Institute is a non-profit, non-Governmental independent organization active in programs with future orientation in areas related to human brain-modern technology-social transformation and the repercussions of relevant research for humanity.-Founding history:The...

(CNTI). The Hotline promotes the safe use of the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

in Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

. It serves the needs of all people that live on the island but also abroad and addresses issues of child pornography

Child pornography

Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...

, child erotica, child nudity, child grooming

Child grooming

Child grooming refers to actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child, in order to lower the child's inhibitions in preparation for sexual activity with the child, or exploitation .Child grooming may be used to lure minors into...

activities, child trafficking, child sex tourism

Child sex tourism

Child sex tourism is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, that is commercially-facilitated child sexual abuse...

, but also racism

Racism

Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

(currently on the rise in Cyprus), gender discrimination and inappropriate use of peoples’ images.

The Hotline provides assistance to the Cyber Crime unit of the Cyprus Police by filtering reports to determine which reports concern content that is probably illegal and is also located in Cyprus

Cyprus

or has a Cypriot dimension. This assists the Police to dedicate their specialist resources to pursuing investigations within their jurisdiction by not having to deal with the majority of reports that do not contain illegal content or relate to material held in other jurisdictions.

The Hotline is a member of the INHOPE International Association of Internet Hotlines, founded in 1999 under the EC Safer Internet Action Plan.
INHOPE facilitates and co-ordinates the work of hotlines internationally in responding to illegal use and content on the Internet. It facilitates good working relationships between hotlines and the exchange of reports by ensuring trust built on a rigorous hotline approval process. When illegal content which is not hosted in Cyprus

Cyprus

is reported to SafenetCY the report is forwarded via INHOPE to the hotline that operates in the hosting country. If there is no INHOPE hotline in operation in the hosting country, the report is forwarded to the Cyprus Police which can decide based on the nature of the content to pursue an investigation in liaison with Interpol

Interpol

Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...

History

The service was first established in 2005 as Safeweb in a partnership between the University of Cyprus

University of Cyprus

The University of Cyprus is a public coeducational university established by the Republic of Cyprus in 1989. It admitted its first students in 1992 and has currently approximately 6000 students .-History:...

and the FORTH Institute in Greece. It was re-launched as SafenetCY in March 2007 (Grant Number SIP-2005-AN-038265), when the Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute

Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute

secured an EU grant together with CYTA

CYTA

CYTA is the national telecommunications provider of Cyprus.The Cyprus Telecommunications Authority , a semi-governmental organisation incorporated by law, is the leading provider of Integrated Electronic Communications in Cyprus...

with the initiatives of Elia Petridou and Yiannis Laouris

Yiannis Laouris

Yiannis Laouris is a social and business entrepreneur. He is a neurophysiologist and systems scientist trained in Germany and the US, who has also become known for his socially responsible work and scientific contributions in the fields of peace and development through the application of modern...

. In 2008 it was integrated with the CyberEthics Safer Internet Awareness Center also co-funded by the Safer Internet Plus Program of the European Commission, under Grant Number SIP-2008-CNH-143-802.

The Safer Internet Program of the European Commission

European Commission

The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

(EC) has been instrumental in developing the Hotline network in Europe.

Visibility

SafenetCY has run visibility events to promote Internet safety issues and the importance of making reports to combat the prevalence of illegal content on the Internet. The Hotline has participated and contributed to various forums with the view to developing safer internet initiatives. It has also provided support and speakers for events run by educational organisations, industry associations and child welfare organisations. Interviews regarding the working of the Hotline are regularly given on TV, radio and the written press. It is vital that all relevant agencies work together to promote Internet safety and provide a safer Internet environment for all. SafenetCY is also an active participant in the organisation of various events and activities to raise awareness in the context of the annual celebration of the International Safer Internet Day.

Related Projects

In addition to the Hotline, the Cyprus Safer Internet Center also operates the Cyprus Safer Internet Helpline

Cyprus Safer Internet Helpline

- Basic Information :The Cyprus Safer Internet Helpline is a service provided by the Cyprus Safer Internet Center project, coordinated by the Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute . The Helpline ensures that children and adolescents but also adults have the opportunity of conversing with...

Sources

EC reference to hotlines: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/projects/centres/index_en.htm#hotlines

EC reference to the Cyprus Internet Hotline: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/apps/projects/factsheet/index.cfm?project_ref=SIP-2008-CNH-143802

Operational Procedures taken by the Cyprus Internet Hotline: http://www.cyberethics.info/cyethics2/UserFiles/file/SafenetCY_OperationalManual_Eng.pdf

External links

SafenetCY, Cyprus Internet Hotline, http://www.cyberethics.info

INHOPE, http://www.inhope.org

Cyprus Police, http://www.police.gov.cy

European Union’s Safer Internet plus Programme, http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/programme/index_en.htm

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