Czech and Croatian officials urge parents to shield children online this summer

The Czech Ministry of the Interior warned that children spend more unsupervised time on the internet during school holidays. Interior Minister Kateřina Bělohlávková and cyber‑crime expert Tereza Faladová advised parents not to post photos of children in swimsuits or nude, nor share personal data, and highlighted a rise in sexual offences – 925 cases of child pornography were recorded last year. The ministry allocated 38 million CZK to the Safe Childhood programme to improve prevention and support.

In Croatia, police from the Osijek‑Baranja district conducted a parent‑focused lecture under the local "Safety and Protection of Children on the Internet" project and the national "SafeONLINE" initiative. Officers stressed the importance of open dialogue, setting clear online rules, supervising children under 13, and reporting threatening or pornographic content, noting that outright bans are ineffective. Both campaigns aim to reduce the risk of cyber‑crime and exploitation of minors during the summer months.