Youth Encouraged to Report Cybercrime Incidents by 'Rat auf Draht'

In recent years, online hate speech and other illegal content have become commonplace in the digital experiences of many young people. Birgit Satke, head of the advisory teams at the youth support organization Rat auf Draht, notes that many adolescents believe that instances of cyberbullying in online gaming environments are simply part of the experience. However, experts stress that such unlawful content should never be accepted and must be reported immediately.

According to the Digital Services Act (DSA), internet platforms are required to promptly remove reported illegal content. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of online material often leads to delays in action, which can be frustrating for children and teenagers. Satke explains that when young individuals muster the courage to report such content, they expect a swift response, and they can feel disappointed when this does not occur.

Rat auf Draht facilitates communication with the relevant online platforms. As a recognized Trusted Flagger organization in Austria, it prioritizes the reporting of harmful content through its online portal at www.rataufdraht.at/trusted-flagger. This means that reports submitted by youths will be given preferential treatment. Although the reporting service was only officially launched a month ago, the organization has already seen an average of one report per day.

Young users are encouraged to report various forms of illegal content, including posts, comments, images, videos, reels, or stories on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This encompasses a range of issues, including public insults, threats, cyberbullying, glorification of violence, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, or ethnicity, as well as the dissemination of Nazi content, animal cruelty, or materials inciting terrorism.

Once a report is filed, Rat auf Draht conducts an internal review before forwarding the information to the corresponding platform, which then decides whether to delete the content. Individuals who report content are kept informed about the status of their cases. The organization aims to empower young people to take action rather than turn a blind eye, ensuring that they can report illegal content anonymously while receiving feedback on the outcome of their report.