CEO Coalition responds to Commissioner Neelie Kroes

CEO Coalition responds to Commissioner Neelie Kroes

CEO Coalition Neelie Kroes

In response to a call by EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, top tech executives from 28 European internet and telecommunications companies formed the CEO Coalition in December 2011.

Their goal was to work together in a non competitive way to make the internet a safer place for children. The coalition has pledged to take action in 5 areas.

These include strengthening reporting tools, privacy settings, content classification schemes, parental controls and takedown of abusive material.

Work Completed to Date

There are currently 116 Hotlines in operation throughout the EU that offer help and support for missing children and their parents, since online violence against children may constitute some of the causes for children disappearing from home.

The coalition is called on to support the following activities:

  • Making awareness material available to their customers.
  • Development of strong, simple reporting tools for users who experience problems.
  • A choice of age-appropriate privacy setting.
  • Wider use of content classification so users and their parents know what to expect while surfing online.
  • Wider availability and use of parental controls.
  • More effective takedown systems for child sexual abuse material.

Future work opportunities

At a recent EU meeting in Brussels, CEOs and senior board members from the world’s digital, media and tech companies set out a number of areas for further collaboration:

  • Sharing of educational material via an online platform so that information can be reused, free-of-charge, by EU based organisations.
  • Development of awareness driving branding for initiatives across Europe.
  • Working together to raise awareness amongst parents.
  • Broadening best practices beyond the Coalition, to join forces across the whole Internet.

Coalition Companies

Some of the campanies include…
Apple, BSkyB, BT, Dailymotion, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, France Telecom – Orange, Google, Hyves, KPN, Liberty Global, LG Electronics, Mediaset, Microsoft, Netlog, Nintendo, Nokia, Opera Software, Research In Motion, RTL Group, Samsung, Skyrock, Stardoll, Sulake, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Telecom Italia, Telenor Group, Tuenti, Vivendi and Vodafone.

Talk to someone

Worried about something you have seen online or concerned about your child? Childline and the National Parents Council Primary offer free advice and support service.

Childline is a support service for young people up to the age of 18.There is a 24hr telephone, online and mobile phone texting service.

1800666666
50101
Get started


The National Parents Council Primary enables and empowers parents to be effective partners in their children’s education.

01 887 4477
helpline@npc.ie

Report Illegal Content

Sometimes you might unwittingly stumble across illegal online content like child abuse imagery. Always remember: you can report it and get it removed using Hotline.ie.

More on illegal content

Make a report


Hotline.ie exists to combat the distribution and proliferation of illegal content, like child sexual
abuse content, in conjunction with police and Internet Industry