Safer Internet Day 2025 takes place this year on Tuesday, 11th February. It brings together organisations, educators, policymakers, and individuals from around the world to promote a safer, more responsible, and more empowering online experience for everyone. The annual event started as a European initiative and has grown into a truly global movement spanning more than 180 countries and territories.
Too Good to Be True? Protecting Yourself and Others from Scams Online.
The theme for Safer Internet Day 2025 is ‘Too Good to Be True? Protecting Yourself and Others from Scams Online.’ This theme aims to raise awareness about the increasing sophistication of online scams and fraud and encourage users to think critically about the information and offers they encounter online.
In an age where digital deception is more prevalent than ever, the theme highlights how cybercriminals exploit trust, social engineering and new technology to target individuals and businesses. By educating people about the different types of scams and promoting digital resilience, Safer Internet Day 2025 hopes to empower users to protect themselves and their communities from fraudulent activity.
This year’s theme covers a wide range of digital threats, including:
- Phishing scams: Fraudulent emails or messages designed to steal sensitive information by masquerading as legitimate entities, such as banks or government agencies.
- Sextortion: Criminals manipulate victims into sharing explicit content, which is then used for blackmail and coercion.
- Investment and cryptocurrency scams: Promises of high returns lure individuals into fraudulent financial schemes, often resulting in significant financial losses.
- Fake giveaways and impersonation scams: Scammers posing as celebrities, influencers or companies trick users into providing personal details or making financial transactions.
- AI-powered Deepfake and identity theft scams: The rise of generative AI enables criminals to create realistic deepfake videos, voices, and identities, making it increasingly difficult to detect fraudulent activity.
- Online marketplace fraud: Fake e-commerce sites and fraudulent sellers exploit trust, leading to the purchase of non-existent goods or services.
- Romance scams: Fraudsters develop fake relationships online to manipulate victims into sending money or sensitive information.
Raising awareness of scams this Safer Internet Day
While education and awareness are essential in protecting individuals from online scams, they are not always enough. Despite being informed about the dangers, many people—especially young and vulnerable users—still fall victim to sophisticated digital deception. This highlights the critical role that online platforms must play in safeguarding their users.
How robust safeguarding solutions can help
Implementing robust safeguarding solutions, such as age verification and identity authentication, can serve as vital protective barriers against scams. By ensuring that users are who they claim to be, these technologies can help prevent fraudsters from exploiting trust and anonymity online.
A key starting point is ensuring appropriate age assurance before granting users access to a platform and enabling interactions with others. This is particularly crucial in cases where criminals pose as children to manipulate victims. Age verification can be conducted through privacy-preserving methods such as email-based age estimation, name and address, credit card and mobile phone checks, facial age estimation, or ID scans. These privacy-preserving solutions accurately determine user age without retaining personally identifiable information.
Depending on the level of risk and potential consequences of underage access, some platforms may need to go further by implementing stricter identity verification measures and retaining user identity data where necessary. Advanced AI-driven detection systems, privacy-preserving verification methods, and proactive fraud prevention measures all contribute to a more secure digital environment.
On Safer Internet Day 2025, it is crucial to not only raise awareness of scams but also to advocate for stronger, tech-driven protections that empower individuals and platforms alike to combat online threats more effectively.
Safer Internet Day across the world
Safer Internet Day is a worldwide initiative that highlights the importance of online safety across different cultural and digital landscapes. Although it originated in Europe, the event now spans nearly every continent, with local organisations adapting the themes to suit their specific internet safety challenges.
- The European Commission continues to support Safer Internet Day as part of its Better Internet for Kids (BIK) initiative. European Safer Internet Centres play a crucial role in education and awareness, providing valuable resources for children, parents, and educators.
- In the United States, ConnectSafely has led the coordination of Safer Internet Day USA since 2013, working with schools, government agencies, and tech companies to promote digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness.
- In the UK, the UK Safer Internet Centre oversees the event, running nationwide activities in schools, launching educational campaigns, and providing tools to help young people navigate online risks.
- The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, leads Safer Internet Day efforts in Australia, focusing on empowering Australians with knowledge and tools to manage digital risks effectively.
- Countries across Latin America and Africa have also embraced Safer Internet Day, with many focusing on bridging the digital divide, increasing cyber awareness, and tackling region-specific online threats such as mobile fraud.
The impact of Safer Internet Day cannot be understated. The event has become a key annual milestone in the digital safety calendar, leading to meaningful changes in public awareness, industry practices, and policy development.
Beyond just raising awareness, Safer Internet Day drives real-world action:
- Governments and regulators often use the day to introduce new policies and enhance digital safety legislation.
- Schools integrate online safety discussions into their curriculum, ensuring that young people are better equipped to navigate online risks.
- Technology companies adopt stronger content moderation, privacy controls, and fraud detection measures in response to public concerns, often announcing major policy changes on the day itself.
- Parents and carers hopefully become more engaged in their children’s digital lives, leading to healthier online habits at home.
Verifymy are here to help
Safer Internet Day 2025 is not just about recognising the risks; it’s also about empowering people with the knowledge and tools to build a safer digital world. Whether it’s an age check or a full identity verification, Verifymy can help effectively implement these technologies. Together, we can work to eradicate online harms and safeguard children and society online.
Get in touch to understand how Verifymy can support your business and compliance needs.
