Safer Internet Day

Liberty Global is the leading international cable operator offering advanced video, voice and broadband internet services to connect its customers to the world of entertainment, communications and information. Liberty Global’s consumer brands include UPC, Unitymedia, Kabel BW, Telenet and VTR. Our operations also include Chellomedia, our content division, UPC Business, a commercial services division, and Liberty Global Ventures.

This is the 6th year we have supported Safer Internet Day, we believe the best way to protect younger users is to educate and empower them by providing interactive awareness materials and platforms to safeguard themselves. 

Liberty Global understands that we have a responsibility to protect children online in the communities in which we serve. That’s why we are continually investing in educational materials that teach young people, parents and teachers how to stay safe when they are online. We have developed practical toolkits and interactive online activities.

In 2008, Liberty Global and Insafe published the “Family e-Safety kit: Taming the web,” the first in a series of educational toolkits. This first toolkit, for children ages 6–12 years old, explores online safety issues such as security, communication, cyber-bullying and entertainment, while offering parents, teachers and young people advice on how to overcome these issues. To date, over one million copies of the Family e-Safety kit have been distributed in 18 languages across 23 countries. 

In 2011, Liberty Global and Insafe launched a second toolkit, “Play and learn: Being online,” for children ages  4–8 years old. This resource provides younger internet users with a glimpse of how technology can impact their daily lives, and delivers basic messages for keeping safe online. “Play and learn: Being online” is available in 16 languages and over 80,000 copies have been distributed to date UPC and Klasse TV, have joined forces to develop a digital video based  teaching tool on 'Media Literacy'. It is a teaching package designed to help improve the media literacy of school students in the seventh and eighth grades. We believe that it is important for children, their parents and teachers to work together to learn how to deal more effectively with the media

The 'Media Literacy' teaching package is made up of six modules, each focusing on different aspects of the internet and TV including  Social networking sites, Search engines, Advertising, Reliable and unreliable websites, Enjoyable and not so enjoyable TV programs and Digital bullying.

It features video clips, talk-about-the-picture boards and worksheets focusing on key objectives relating to social competencies, online skills and citizenship. Visit the Klasse TV website for more information.

In 2012, Liberty Global strengthened its public-private partnership with Insafe by launching an animation aimed at educating parents on children's safety online. The “Who are your kids talking to?” animation provides parents with practical tips to help keep their children safe online and contains 8 informative tip sheets giving practical advice on how to deal with issues ranging from privacy on social networks to meeting online strangers and managing online reputation. 

Liberty Global has also partnered with Google and Insafe to create “The Web We Want” - a new educational handbook for 13-16 year olds, developed with young people. Designed to resonate with the needs and preferences of young people today, the booklet encourages them to reflect on issues such as digital footprints, online reputation, rights and responsibilities. Through a variety of hands-on exercises inviting young people to share their experiences and investigate their own online practices.

Teachers and parents can find supporting material on the issues and activities in the handbook at which will also serve as a platform where young people are able to present some of their personal experiences.  

You can download your a copy of “The Web We Want” here

Liberty Global is also a founding member of the “Industry Coalition to make a better and safer internet for children,” launched by the European Commission. The Coalition is a cooperative voluntary intervention, designed to respond to emerging challenges arising from young Europeans going online.