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Ladies and Gentlemen of all ages,
It's my pleasure to celebrate the 11th Safer Internet Day with you.
Today's the day when all of us get together:
— schools, businesses, governments and charities.
To create an online world where children can have a great time,
exploring, playing and learning.
and where their parents can relax in confidence,
knowing that they are doing that safely.
Once just a European event,
I'm proud to see Safer Internet Day now in place across the world.
With hundreds or even thousands of events as I speak,
in 100 countries across 6 continents.
And there's an amazing variety of ways to spread the message.
From competitions to social media campaigns.
TV shows to online charters.
Not just protecting for safety --
but empowering for a better experience.
With topics from stopping cyberbullying,
to creating fun kids' websites.
With so many people involved,
from pupils and professors to parents and professionals,
not to mention many dedicated volunteers.
because it's by working together that we can really build a better internet for kids.
For example: by creating better content for younger people.
There's so many ways to make their online time more rewarding, educational, and fun:
from playing games to learning new skills to new ways to share and socialise.
And today I'm presenting an Award to find the Best Online Content for Kids,
selected from over 1100 entries.
Including ideas from some talented young people --
after all, who better to understand and design for children,
than children themselves?
ICT professionals can also help.
That's why we put together a coalition of big ICT companies to work on this.
They are hard at work and making good progress,
coming up with ideas in areas like
simple robust reporting tools, content classification and parental controls.
Those firms are in a unique position to raise the bar
and build a better Internet for kids
-- and I hope they continue to do so.
Schools too: by ensuring teachers and pupils have the digital confidence they need,
As part of a move to modernised, open education.
And dedicated organisations like our Safer Internet Centres also have their part to play
-- building an international network of hotlines and helplines,
and somewhere people young and old can turn to for advice.
Some worry about the risks kids face online.
But by raising awareness and educating
we can help children and parents manage and mitigate those risks:
just as we do in the "real", offline world.
The fact is, the Internet is a great place for anyone to play and learn, interact and
explore.
As European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda,
my job is to ensure that as many as possible can benefit from digital technology and all
that it offers.
So ensuring younger people can use the internet safely and responsibly is top of my list.
So, I hope you are joining in some of the great Safer Internet Day events taking place
near you --
then we can make a better Internet!
Working together I know we can achieve a better impact,
and a better Internet for every child.
Have a great day!