On 4-5 April 2019, representatives of the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) visited Vilnius. GNCC experts came to Lithuania for a study visit that was organised by the RRT when implementing together with Polish and German partners the Twinning project GE/15/ENI/TE/01/16 (GE/27) “Supporting the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) in developing of its electronic communications regulatory framework and operational capacities in line with EU regulatory framework“. The aim of this visit is to familiarise the Georgian regulator’s representatives with experience of Lithuania in the field of internet content monitoring.
The RRT experts briefed the Georgian colleagues on activities of the hotline “Švarus internetas“ (“Clean Internet”), familiarised them with the procedures and technical solutions implemented by the RRT in order to protect Lithuanian consumers against harmful and illegal content found on the internet. The guests also had an opportunity to meet with partners of the European Commission’s project “Safer Internet” ‒ representatives of the Centre of Information Technologies in Education (ŽEIT) of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, association “Langas į Ateitį” (“Window to the Future”), public institution “Vaikų linija” (“Child Line”), Police Department, and the Ombudsman for Children Rights who introduced their contribution in the field of safer internet.
An especially important role in the internet content monitoring is taken also by the Office of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics (ŽEIT) with which the RRT closely cooperates by transferring information on illegal or harmful content noticed on the internet. During 2018, the RRT sent for further investigation by the ŽEIT 42 reports on the information making a suspected negative impact on minors. At the meeting with the Journalist Ethics Inspector Gražina Ramanauskaitė, the GNCC representatives raised especially topical issues associated with the protection of minors, incitement of hate, posting of pornography on the internet, took interest in practical examples of violations, cooperation between the RRT and the ŽEIT.
During the visit in Vilnius, the Georgian regulators also had a possibility to visit the largest and most modern Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, where they met with the Library’s Director General Prof. Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas, inspected spaces intended for visitors, took note of the current projects on media literacy and digital content carried out by the Library. Besides, the representative of the EU project currently implemented by the “Connected Lithuania” introduced activities aimed at encouraging Lithuanian residents to acquire necessary skills in using the internet effectively, comprehensively, safely and responsibly, by actively involving local communities into these activities.
This is already the third study visit of the Twinning project that has received especially favourable feedback from the Georgian delegation. The GNCC expect to use the experience gained in Lithuania by strengthening the internet content monitoring in Georgia.
The RRT internet hotline activity has been carried out in Lithuania since 2007 according to the “Safer internet” project financed by the European Commission. During 2018, the RRT internet hot line received 3,149 reports on illegal or harmful content on the internet, gave 367 consultations to social networks’ users due to the elimination of illegally published personal or harmful information, recovery of hacked accounts, establishment of adequate security and privacy options in social networks. From 5 February 2019, when the Safer Internet Day SID was celebrated around the world, the new internet hotline website “Švarus internetas” was launched (https://svarusinternetas.lt/en).
Updated on 2019-04-12