Awareness actions for the safe use of the internet and mobile telephony services by OTE and COSMOTE

“In the Internet fairyland, we want no villains!”    
On the occasion of the Safe Internet Day 2013 and driven by the conviction that prevention and proper information can ensure the safe use of the Internet and of the mobile, OTE and COSMOTE implement an awareness campaign for yet another year. With the message “In the Internet fairyland, we want no villains”, and through a series of targeted initiatives and awareness actions, OTE and COSMOTE are informing both the wider public and the thousands of the Group’s employees.

Awareness actions for families at the Mall
For the second consecutive year OTE and COSMOTE carried out a special event for parents, adolescents and children on Saturday 2 February 2013 at the Mall Athens. Specialists from the Adolescent Health Unit (A.H.U.) of the Second Dept. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital”, informed parents and children about the safe use of the internet, potential risks as well as young people’s addiction through interesting interactive activities.

Research results and actions by Adolescent Health Unit
The two companies participated today, Monday 4 February, in a press conference held by the Adolescent Health Unit of the Second Dept. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital”, in which considerable evidence from recent surveys was presented, as well as specific actions related to Internet safety. OTE and COSMOTE have been supporting the actions of Adolescent Health Unit for safe navigation during the last 3 years. One of the results of this year’s survey showed that only 28.8% of adolescents say they have been informed about Internet safety (Source: Adolescent Health Unit (M.E.Y), Research Results December 2012-January 2013).

Theater performances at OTE Telecommunications museum
The OTE Telecommunications Museum is hosting the theatrical play “The Internet Farm” on Monday 4/2 and Tuesday 5/2 for school groups and on Saturday 9/2 and Sunday 10/2 for the public at 13:30p.m-14.30p.m. The play is directed by Sofia Tsinari and it is based on the book of the same name by Veronica Samaras and Georgios Kormas presenting the process of safe Internet navigation in a pleasant way.

2nd Congress for Safer Internet Navigation
Finally, OTE and COSMOTE jointly support the 2nd Conference on Safer Internet Navigation organised by the Cyber Crime Unit on 7 February.

OTE and COSMOTE have undertaken these initiatives since 2009 and more than 700,000 leaflets have already been distributed, more than 680,000 SMS have been sent and more than 36,000 teachers, parents and children have participated in awareness events. In collaboration with the Adolescent Health Unit, Unit (A.H.U.) of the Second Dept. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital”, there have been more than 300 educational sessions, which were attended by more than 14,000 students.

• Further information about OTE – COSMOTE products and actions on the safe use of the Internet and mobile telephony services
• For the safety of Internet and Mobile Telephony Services users, OTE and COSMOTE have developed specialised products and services, as well as a series of actions and initiatives in this direction.

Products and Services

• OTE has launched the OTE Conn-x Secure, which offers comprehensive online computer protection services and enriched Parental Control functionality, allowing parents to monitor, filter and block access to websites with undesirable content (e.g. violence, adult content, weapons, drugs, etc.), defining the level of protection depending on the age of children.
• COSMOTE enables parents to block access to content in the Erotic category, which is available through COSMOTE my view. The Erotic category services are addressed to adult users only who accept the conditions of use (including the declaration that the user is an adult).
• In addition, COSMOTE offers its subscribers the ability to enable and disable blockings on Multimedia Information Services (CSS) for free. The Multimedia Information Services are services of electronic communications involving the transmission of information/content in electronic communication networks, of which the pricing is made via the billing of calls to numbering resources of the National Numbering Plan and to which usually apply higher charges. By the term “Blocking” is defined the prohibition of access of the subscriber to all or certain CSS provided through one or more of the aforementioned numbering series. The blocking (whitelist) is applied for all accessible channels (SMS, MMS, voice & video call).

For further information subscribers can call OTE Customer Care Service on 13888 and COSMOTE Customer Care Service on 13838 for postpaid and prepaid subscribers and on 13839 for corporate clients or visit the official website of OTE, www.ote.gr, and of COSMOTE at www.cosmote.gr

Raising Public Awareness
Through the special brochure entitled “In the Internet fairyland, we want no villains”, OTE and COSMOTE are addressed to parents, offering advice on the safe use of the Internet and mobile telephony. Over the last 5 years, OTE and COSMOTE have distributed more than 706,600 brochures with relevant themes through OTE, COSMOTE and GERMANOS shops as well as in sponsorships and other events in which they have participated or held.

Moreover, in the context of the educational activities by the OTE Telecommunications Museum, awareness sessions have been carried out since 2010 with regard to safe internet navigation. The sessions are imparted by specialised scientific partners of the Adolescent Health Unit of the Second Dpt. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital” and are aimed at students of all grades and their content is being amended depending on the age and knowledge level of the students and according to their interests. The program starts with an advisory part and ends with the interactive section, in which children navigate websites being provided with advice and suggestions.

Collaboration with Acknowledged Bodies
Since 2010, OTE and COSMOTE have been cooperating with the Adolescent Health Unit of the Second Dpt. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital” lending their support to both the scientific work as well as awareness actions across Greece in relation to Internet safety. Moreover, since 2009, the two companies have been contributing to the functioning of the Helpline “YpoSTIRIZO 800 11 800 15” of the Greek Safer Internet Awareness Centre, which operates under the auspices of the European Commission and is managed by the Adolescent Health Unit of the Second Dpt. of Pediatrics of the University of Athens, “P.&A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital”. The line is addressed to adolescents and their families, providing support and advice on issues related to the use of the internet, mobile phone and online games.

Furthermore, OTE and COSMOTE have actively supported the workshops organised by the Cyber Crime Unit in Greece since 2011, which are designed to raise awareness of parents and students on Safety in the Internet.

Participation in self-regulatory initiatives
Of particular importance is OTE and COSMOTE’s participation, via Deutsche Telekom, in the initiative of the European Commission “Coalition to make the Internet a better place for kids” for the Safe Navigation of Children and Young People in the Internet. It is a coalition that was formed in December 2011 by 28 leading technology companies in Europe, aiming at a better and safer online environment for children.

At the same time, COSMOTE along with all mobile telephony operators has undertaken self-regulatory initiatives at European and national level. Specifically:

• Since 2007, it has been a signatory to the European Memorandum for Safer Mobile Use by children and younger teenagers (in cooperation with European mobile telephony companies).
• In 2006, it cooperated with the other mobile telephony operators in Greece to devise a draft “Code of Conduct for value-added services provided through mobile phones and for the protection of juvenile users”. In 2008, the Code was adjusted to the European Standards