Awareness Activites
How Hotline promotes Internet safety
The Hotline maintains a high profile with the general public and runs visibility events to promote Internet safety issues. Through these events, the Hotline emphasises the importance of making reports to combat the prevalence of illegal content on the Internet. It also connects with the media and, throughout 2008 the Hotline General Manager Paul Durrant gave numerous TV, radio and press interviews. There were over thirty such media interviews during the year, including a live discussion on keeping children safe online on TV3’s Ireland AM show. The launch of the 5th Report attracted widespread media coverage.
During 2008, often through referrals from the Office for Internet safety, Hotline.ie provided support and speakers for events run by educational organisations, industry associations, youth groups and child welfare organisations. Presentations to this wide range of groups
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included Foróige youth club in Curragha, Co. Meath, to parents in St. Anne’s Resource Centre, Shankill, Co. Dublin, to welfare workers at CARI’s Annual Conference held in Santry, and to parents of St. Raphael’s College, Loughrea, Co. Galway.
In other areas, Hotline.ie has contributed an article on Internet safety to “Child Links” published by Barnardos and has briefed officials in government, both at national and EU level on issues relating to illegal use of the Internet.
Also, to assist development of international expertise, Hotline.ie has provided training to staff of other INHOPE member hotlines by presenting at INHOPE training courses and general assembly meetings. ISPAI/Hotline is a participant in the IBF Hi-Tech Crime Forum, and has participated and contributed to various forums such as the Council of Europe, to develop guidelines to improve industry and law enforcement co-operation. The Hotline also participated in the UCD anti-cybercrime training development conference and chaired the conference on mobile safety issues held by the Mobile Marketing Association. It has also participated in other visibility events around the country.
On the international stage, Hotline.ie participated in the CoE workgroup in Germany to develop guidelines to improve ISP and law enforcement cooperation against cybercrime; the Safer Internet Forum held in Luxembourg which examined how child safety might be improved in Social Networking services and, met with MEPs and EU officials in Brussels to discuss how actions against illegal content might be developed. By participating in these events and sharing
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its expertise the Hotline underlines its strong belief that all relevant agencies should work together to promote Internet safety and provide a safer Internet environment for all.
Relationship with the law enforcement
The Hotline.ie provides important assistance to An Garda Síochána by filtering
reports to determine what is probably illegal and is also located in the Republic of Ireland or has an Irish dimension. This allows the Gardaí deploy their specialist resources to investigate the suspect reports without having to waste their time dealing with the majority of reports that do not contain illegal content or relate to material held in other jurisdictions. Only An Garda Síochána fulfils the role of law enforcement in the State. It is they who conduct criminal investigations of the perpetrators behind this illegal content.
Once the Hotline.ie has passed its content assessment and the technical information it has gathered on the Internet to law enforcement, the Hotline's role is completed.
The Hotline.ie very much appreciates the support it has received from An Garda Síochána during the period. They have also promoted the Hotline.ie on their website and in the Garda pages of the national telephone directories.
