On the second day of the second week of February each year, World Safer Internet Day is celebrated online worldwide.

Safer Internet Day (SID) has evolved into a global rendezvous of responsibility, knowledge, and digital maturity—far more than a symbolic calendar observance. It functions as a call to vigilance, encouraging safer internet use, stronger self-protection, and, above all, respectful digital coexistence.

First launched in 2004 as an initiative of the European EU SafeBorders Programme and institutionalised in 2005 by the Insafe network, Safer Internet Day has become a benchmark for digital safety. Today, it is celebrated in more than 160 countries and territories, proving that digital challenges know no borders.

2025 Data from Smile of the Child

1. Participation

• Students: 7,661

• Teachers: 70

• Parents and guardians: 772

• Professionals: 49

2. Cyber Tipline Reports for Children at Risk Online

• Cyberbullying: 5

• Online sexual exploitation material: 10

• Sextortion: 9

• Cyberbullying and sexual harassment: 9

• Grooming: 3

3. Support for Children Facing Online Risks

(Sextortion, cyberbullying, grooming, problematic internet use, exposure to inappropriate content)

These data highlight that adolescents, due to their increased use of the internet and digital media, are the most vulnerable group to risks such as cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and problematic internet use.

This reality makes targeted interventions, educational programmes, and prevention actions essential in strengthening digital safety and psychosocial support for children and adolescents at these critical ages.

It should also be noted that in many cases multiple actions were implemented, reflecting a holistic and multifaceted approach aimed at ensuring effective protection and support for children at every level.

From Cyberbullying to Digital Identity: How Safer Internet Centres Work

Each year, the theme of Safer Internet Day adapts to emerging digital challenges, including cyberbullying, misinformation, social media use, privacy, digital identity, and artificial intelligence.

At the heart of this effort are the Safer Internet Centres (SICs) operating at both European and international levels. These national centres:

• run information and education campaigns,

• operate helplines,

• work directly with children and young people,

• promote an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder approach to a safer, more humane internet.

Since 2009, Safer Internet Day Committees (SID Committees) have also been established in countries outside Europe, reinforcing the initiative’s global character and ensuring coordinated action under a shared framework led from Brussels.

World Safer Internet Day 2026

Safer Internet Day 2026 builds on this momentum. With rich promotional material, the renewed Ally mascot in new expressions and poses, and clear standards for visual use, this year’s focus is on the active involvement of:

• the education community,

• families,

• children and young people themselves.

Across dozens of countries, SID 2026 is accompanied by:

• educational workshops in schools,

• open awareness-raising events,

• webinars,

• partnerships with organisations, NGOs, and technology providers,

• social media campaigns amplifying youth voices.

SID’s official online platform serves as a global hub, showcasing actions worldwide and offering multilingual materials for students, parents, and teachers, while also providing a space for digital safety professionals to exchange experiences and best practices.

Safer Internet Day in Greece

In Greece, Safer Internet Day is not merely a formal European observance, but a living educational and social process that has gained increasing momentum in recent years.

As children and teenagers spend more time online—at school, during leisure activities, and through social interaction—digital safety has become a practical, everyday concern rather than a theoretical one.

Greece actively participates in the Insafe European Network through the Hellenic Safer Internet Centre, which functions as a national hub for information, prevention, and support.

Each year, on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, the following activities are implemented:

• training programmes for teachers,

• information and awareness activities in schools at all educational levels,

• open events for parents,

• digital workshops and discussions with students.

A dedicated helpline also operates, addressing issues such as cyberbullying, personal data breaches, and harmful online behaviour, offering guidance to both minors and adults.

SID 2026 in Greece: Schools, Communities, and New Digital Challenges

SID 2026 finds Greek society at a pivotal moment. Digital education is now embedded in school life, while minors’ use of social media and AI tools is rapidly expanding.

Within the framework of this year’s initiative in Greece, the following actions are being developed:

• thematic digital safety weeks in schools,

• awareness-raising initiatives in cooperation with municipalities and regions,

• online campaigns involving students as active digital citizens, not passive users,

• open discussions on misinformation, hate speech, and digital identity protection.

Special emphasis in 2026 is placed on children’s voices, inviting them to share online experiences, propose solutions, and co-create a safer digital environment.

The Greek Family in Front of the Screen

For Greek families, Safer Internet Day often becomes an opportunity for meaningful dialogue. Parents and children are encouraged to openly discuss boundaries, risks, and opportunities online.

The focus is not on control, but on trust and guidance—an approach that is increasingly embraced in Greece.

The essence of Safer Internet Day lies not only in events, but in the core message that “the internet is not somewhere else—it is part of our everyday lives.”

Like any shared space, it requires rules, respect, and active participation. Safer Internet Day reminds us that online safety concerns everyone: children, parents, teachers, professionals, and institutions alike. It is a continuous process of learning, dialogue, and collaboration.