CSI and A1 Croatia Introduced a New Tool for Protecting Children on the Internet

During 2024, the number of calls to the free and anonymous help line of CSI increased by 110 percent. Growing challenges such as sexual extortion, dangerous online challenges, and digital violence require quick and effective responses. Therefore, A1 Croatia and CSI marked the #BoljiOnline day, during which the Take It Down tool was presented, aimed at minor victims of online sexual extortion.

– The existence of explicit content on the internet can be extremely frightening and traumatizing, especially for young people. With the innovative Take It Down tool, which allows minors to regain control over their digital identity and reduce the consequences of sexual extortion, we empower their position. We believe this is an important step in the fight against electronic violence, providing victims with the ability to remove unauthorized shared content. Every victim deserves support and protection. Therefore, we invite anyone who has found themselves in a situation of involuntary sharing of intimate photographs to contact the Safer Internet Center via the anonymous help line 0800 606 606 and seek help, advice, and support from the police – emphasized Tomislav Ramljak, head of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and CSI.

The Take It Down platform, developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), enables minors to remove unauthorized shared intimate content from a wide range of online platforms. CSI and A1 Croatia ensured the adaptation and translation of this tool, enabling its application in the Croatian language and availability to local users. With this step, Croatia becomes part of a global initiative aimed at strengthening the protection of children’s and young people’s privacy in the digital environment.

“We are proud to have participated in the translation and adaptation of this tool into Croatian, making it available to our citizens. In addition to providing direct assistance to victims, Take It Down brings a new dimension to the protection of children and young people on the internet, and our collaboration with the American National Center for Missing & Exploited Children further inspires us in our efforts to systematically improve the protection mechanisms for the most vulnerable in the digital space,” said Ramljak.

As part of the #BoljiOnline day, the first anniversary of the Safer Internet Center’s counseling service was also celebrated, during which the results of the counseling service’s activities and the activities within the #BoljiOnline project over the past year were presented. In 2024, 115 schools across Croatia were visited, and 77 events dedicated to internet safety were organized.

– At A1 Croatia, we believe that the digital world can and must be a safe place for all users, especially for children and young people. As a telecom that provides internet access, we are aware not only of its advantages but also of the challenges it brings. That is why we have been collaborating with the Safer Internet Center for over ten years to raise awareness about the responsible use of digital technologies and to develop tools that provide concrete support to users. The #BoljiOnline platform is one of the ways we achieve this goal – through education, prevention, and innovative solutions that contribute to a safer digital environment. The past year has brought significant progress, from the opening of the CSI counseling center in Zagreb, organizing the CyberGuard conference, to launching the #BOB chatbot, a digital assistant that helps users use the internet more safely. Internet safety is a shared responsibility, and we at A1 Croatia remain committed to providing solutions that help users protect their privacy and be safer online. We will continue to invest and collaborate to make the digital world better and safer for everyone – stated Dejan Turk, CEO of A1 Croatia and A1 Slovenia.

The availability of new digital solutions such as the Take It Down platform and the #BOB chatbot, along with ongoing education as part of the #BoljiOnline project, is yet another testament to the commitment of A1 Croatia and CSI to creating a safer online environment. For more information, visit #BoljiOnline or contact the CSI help line at 0800 606 606 for advice and support.