Survey Shows: More Safety for Children on the Internet is Needed

Only twelve percent of Austrians believe that children are safe online. When parents think about children in the digital world, they primarily feel insecurity, skepticism, and fear, according to a Marketagent survey commissioned by UNICEF Austria. Two-thirds of respondents see excessive media consumption and digital overstimulation as the biggest challenge for children, and over half are concerned about age-inappropriate content on the internet.

Austrians Also See Schools as Responsible

The survey shows that there is a need for action, even though around half of the respondents rate children's media literacy as generally good, the UN children's fund in Austria stated in a release on Wednesday. More than half of the respondents demand better education and media literacy in schools. Furthermore, over 50 percent also see the binding responsibility of platform operators as another important measure for more safety on the internet.

Stricter Regulations for Platforms

The surveyed parents or guardians are aware of their important role as companions for their children in the digital world (83 percent), but they also recognize the role of the state in digital child protection as an active protector with legal requirements (53 percent). The respondents primarily wish for mandatory youth protection filters, automatic removal of child-endangering content, tamper-proof age verification upon registration, and no commercial use of children's data from platform operators.

Children are often left alone in the digital space, the release stated. They experience violence, grooming, bullying, or are often exposed to inappropriate content. UNICEF Austria is calling for concrete steps from the federal government in a petition, such as the expansion of digital education. Better technical child protection is also essential. "Through our campaign 'Online Safe - for Every Child' we want to remind the federal government to act now and take steps to enable children to grow up safely and autonomously," said Christoph Jünger, Managing Director of UNICEF Austria.

(APA/Red)

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