Liberty Global and European Schoolnet Support Schools With eSafety Challenges

Liberty Global plc (“Liberty Global”) (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) together with European Schoolnet (EUN) is supporting schools with their eSafety challenges through two educational initiatives: eSafety Label and the Web We Want. On the occasion of today’s Safer Internet Day, Liberty Global is expanding the roll out of the eSafety Label to many more European schools, following a successful pilot in 2012, and by distributing the first 50,000 copies of the Web We Want booklet. Aimed at protecting children through education and empowerment, both initiatives are the result of multi-stakeholder partnerships, which resonate with the theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day, Let’s Create a Better Internet Together.

The eSafety Label developed by European Schoolnet (EUN), Liberty Global, Microsoft and Telefonica, and three European Education Ministries, is a Europe-wide online safety support and accreditation standard for schools. The standard is available in 14 languages and has so far successfully reached over 500 schools in Europe.

The Web We Want developed by the European Schoolnet (EUN), in cooperation with Liberty Global, Google and a team of young people, is an educational handbook equipping teachers and teens with the tools they need to make informed online decisions.

Manuel Kohnstamm, Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of Liberty Global said, “Given the complexity of new technologies as well as the associated risks, no organization or entity can address eSafety alone. Governments and industry must work together to address common concerns and build collaborative solutions. The eSafety Label and the Web We Want are two excellent examples of what can be achieved through multi-stakeholder partnerships.”

The eSafety Label - Supporting Schools with the ICT Challenge

Across Europe, there is an increase in the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools which has led to a whole new range of eSafety challenges for teachers. Six out of ten teachers have not received training for ICT use in the classroom according to a recent European Commission paper ‘Opening up Education'. The eSafety Label aims to equip schools with resources to develop eSafety confidence. The accreditation standard provides schools with benchmark against schools in their country and across Europe, access to an ever-growing set of resources and tools: eSafety advice and guidance, fact sheets, checklists and template, and opportunity to share accreditation status with parents and the local community.

The Web We Want Handbook

The Web We Want educational handbook challenges young people to test their skills, learn more about their rights in the online world and to create tips and tools. It covers topics such as freedom of expression, thinking before you post, online and offline values, who you share content with, identity deception and privacy protection.

The booklet has now been translated into nine languages including Dutch, Flemish, French, German, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Spanish and Czech, and on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, Liberty Global will take on the dissemination of the first 50,000 copies of the booklet through our operations across Europe, working alongside Insafe’s network of eSafety centers and Google.

Lead Partner of Safer Internet Day since 2007

Liberty Global has been one of the main partners of Safer Internet Day since 2007 and annually marks the occasion across its operations through local eSafety initiatives. Over the years, Liberty Global has actively developed programs and engaged in campaigns that support the European Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe, including increasing trust and security, delivering ultra-fast broadband speeds, enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion, and developing ICT solutions for social challenges.

The company has worked closely with Insafe, the EU organization for internet safety awareness in Europe, to create the following internet safety tools for children including: ‘Play and Learn: Being Online’ for children aged 4-8 years which is available in 16 languages; ‘Family eSafety Kit‘ targeting 6-12 year olds, available in 18 languages; and the latest resource, ‘The Web We Want’ aimed at teens aged 13-16 years. Over one million copies of the ‘Family eSafety Kit’ and 100,000 copies of the ‘Play and Learn: Being Online’ have been distributed across the world to date.

European Schoolnet & Insafe

European Schoolnet (EUN), in Brussels, is a network of 30 Ministries of Education in Europe and beyond. EUN was created 15 years ago to bring innovation in teaching and learning to its key stakeholders: Ministries of Education, schools, teachers and researchers. More information: www.eun.org
Insafe, also based in Brussels, is a European network of Awareness Centers promoting safe, responsible use of the Internet and mobile devices to young people. It is co-funded by the Safer Internet Program from the European Commission. More information: www.saferinternet.org

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global is the largest international cable company with operations in 14 countries. We connect people to the digital world and enable them to discover and experience its endless possibilities. Our market-leading triple-play services are provided through next-generation networks and innovative technology platforms that connected 24 million customers subscribing to 48 million television, broadband internet and telephony services at September 30, 2013.

Liberty Global’s consumer brands include Virgin Media, UPC, Unitymedia, Kabel BW, Telenet and VTR. Our operations also include Liberty Global Business Services, our commercial division and Liberty Global Ventures, our investment fund. For more information, please visit www.libertyglobal.com.