HOM/Objectives of Hotline

What are the specific Objectives for the Hotline?

• Operate an island-wide hotline for Internet users in Cyprus to report illegal and harmful material and activities, so as to reduce the circulation of illegal content on the Internet.
• Inform users of the hotline’s scope of activity and how to contact it; clarify to the users the difference between the hotline’s activities and those of public authorities, and inform them of the existence of alternative ways of reporting illegal content.
• Establish, if necessary, and operate a hotline to receive information from the public relating to illegal
• Content which will act as a national alert platform or as an alert platform common to several Member States;
• Draw up a manual of procedures in cooperation with law enforcement authorities and in accordance with best practice guidelines;
• Deal rapidly with complaints received;
• Where permitted under national law and the manual of procedures, undertake a preliminary assessment of the legality of the content reported and trace its origin;
• Forward the report to the appropriate body for action (police, ISP, correspondent hotline);
• Conduct systematic notice to the host service provider of content assessed as illegal child abuse material, unless the police have requested the hotline not to do so;
• Participate actively in networking with other local stakeholders;
• Take part in cross-border discussions and exchange of best practice with other co-funded hotlines and with other stakeholders as part of the network.
• Contribute to the European URL database once set up by the network coordinator.