Operation “SafeOnline with the Police” – drivers informed about children’s online safety

As part of the national awareness campaign “Digital Safety for Every Child!”, the Digital Safety Center, in partnership with the General Police Inspectorate, launched today the information initiative “SafeOnline with the Police.”

Under this operation, teams from the National Public Security Inspectorate (INSP) stop drivers in traffic to provide messages of responsibility and useful resources on how to protect children in the digital space. Drivers receive informational leaflets for parents, bookmarks, and car air fresheners with key messages about children’s online safety, ranging from responsible internet use to reporting abusive content.

The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness among parents, grandparents, and caregivers about the risks of the digital world and to remind them of their role in guiding children toward safe and responsible online behavior.

The national campaign “Digital Safety for Every Child!” is organized by the International Center “La Strada” through the Digital Safety Center, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health, the General Police Inspectorate, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the Global Partnership Fund to Stop Violence Against Children – Safe Online. The campaign aims to promote the only specialized service in the Republic of Moldova dedicated to managing digital risks for children and youth – www.siguronline.md – as well as the free telephone assistance service for children 116 111 (www.telefonulcopilului.md).

According to data from the Digital Safety Center, in the first half of 2025 alone, there were: 237 reports on the platform www.siguronline.md regarding various online challenges faced by children; 1,246 reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted on servers in the country; and 2,105 illegal materials removed in partnership with the police and service providers, of which one in three involved severe content depicting children under 13. Among the most alarming trends are the rise of cyberbullying, the decreasing age of children involved in abusive materials, the sharing of intimate images for defamation, and parents’ lack of awareness about setting healthy boundaries for technology use.

The “Digital Safety for Every Child!” campaign runs from September to November 2025 and includes activities in schools, public awareness spots, training sessions for parents and professionals, and distribution of educational materials in bookstores, youth-friendly centers, and healthcare institutions. Through these initiatives, partners aim to strengthen a culture of digital safety among children, parents, and professionals, contributing to a safer and more responsible online society.