Initiative "A Network for Children" and www.fragFINN.de

The German government set off the initiative „A Network for Children” in 2007 to strengthen the trust and confidence of children, parents and teachers in the internet. Within that initiative, a large number of founder members from the Internet and Mobile Communications industry have joined forces in order to compile a so-called whitelist of children-friendly websites. The participating parties are aiming at establishing a secure place in the internet that allows children from age 8-12 to surf the web without any risk for them finding violent or sexual content.

By creating and continually developing the whitelist, children can easily find manifold online content that is interesting and exciting for them. At the same time, children gain media skills by actively engaging with the internet and its various interactive services. A visualization of the whitelist is provided on www.fragFINN.de, where children can search the list and thereby explore what the internet offers to them. Moreover, they are offered a mix of games, news, information and useful links to child-appealing websites.

To keep children from straying beyond the secure sites on fragFINN’s list, we have developed a certain protective technology. In the area for parents and grown-ups on the fragFINNwebsite, you’ll find detailed information about how children can surf safely with fragFINN. There are different ways Internet access can be limited to the whitelisted sites. Either by using free software which can be downloaded from the fragFINN website. Once the protective software or other protective technology is activated children will only be able to access the websites included on the whitelist. With fragFINN, young computer users can quickly and easily navigate the safe surfing area and explore the wide variety of whitelisted Internet content.

The project is consolidated by the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter e.V. (FSM) and the whitelist is being constantly checked and expanded by a team of media pedagogues. The fragFINN whitelist is constituting a new approach for protecting children online and hopes to serve as a role model on an European level. Download information on fragFINN in English here...

Try fragFINN and search the whitelist here: