site.btaChild Online Safety Discussed at Sofia Forum

A European forum dedicated to online risks for children brought together representatives of European institutions, journalists and experts at the House of Europe in Sofia on Friday. The event was organized by the European Parliament (EP) Office in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre. The discussion Risks on the Internet: Protecting Young People and Children Online, aims to review European legislation related to the online safety of minors and the necessary national-level protective measures in this field.

The Head of the European Parliament Office in Bulgaria Teodor Stoychev opened the forum and welcomed participants.

Moderator Konstantin Valkov noted that the discussion is not about stopping the use of smartphones or the internet, but about finding ways to protect minors in the online environment.

The first panel focuses on measures at European level, while the second examines the situation in Bulgaria. Participants include Danish Ambassador to Bulgaria Flemming Stender, UNICEF Bulgaria Representative Christina de Bruin, Members of the European Parliament Tsvetelina Penkova and Ivaylo Valchev, as well as Katie Rigg, Online Protection of Minors, European Commission, Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology (DG Connect).

The second panel features Deputy Education and Science Minister Emilia Lazarova, Deputy Justice Minister Mihaela Mechkunova, State Agency for Child Protection expert Tsvetelin Kanev, and Georgi Elenkov, Director of Child Policies at the National Network for Children.