About us

The German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter – FSM) is a non-profit association that deals with youth media protection in online media. Together with its member companies and associations, the FSM is doing important work to strengthen youth media protection and keep in check online media content that is illegal or is harmful to young persons or impairs their development. The FSM also operates a hotline that any user can call on to report online content that is criminal or harmful to young persons. The FSM’s other core functions include extensive educational work and promoting media literacy in children and adults.

klicksafe is an awareness campaign to promote media literacy in dealing with the Internet and new media on behalf of the European Commission. The project’s fields of action are content/qualification, campaign/marketing, and networking nationwide with partners and stakeholders.

The German Children’s Fund has been working for children in Germany for 50 years. The children’s rights of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – in force in Germany since 1992 – form the basis for this. Making them known and implementing them in society as well as in politics, also in relation to the digital space, are starting points for the work of the children’s rights organization.

fragFINN – the safe surfing environment for children from 6 to 12 years. With the children’s search engine on fragFINN.de (www.fragFINN.de), children can only find websites that are suitable for children and have been checked by media educators.

Since 1949 the JFF – Institute for Media Research and Media Education has been investigating how younger generations deal with media through research and practical experience. The media usage of adolescents and promoting media competence has been the starting point for JFF activities in the fields of research and pedagogical work for more than 60 years. Combining empirical research and educational practice is characteristic of the work of JFF. Research results form the basis of educational schemes for educational, developmental, and cultural work with children and adolescents. These research activities are reciprocally supplemented by educational practice.

The Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen (German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Television – FSF e.V.) promotes youth media protection in the fields of television and the Internet. One significant remit of the FSF is the appraisal of television programming in terms of youth protection, based on the German Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV). Expert independent examiners decide on the legality and age ratings of television programmes and comparable Internet content, with particular emphasis on the limits placed on the depiction of violence and sexuality. The FSF prepares material on media-related topics and conducts media education projects, acting as an advice and counselling centre for questions on how children and adolescents use the media as well as offers a forum for social and academic debate on issues of youth media protection, media ethics and the development of programming.

The German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) is a body set up by the associations of the computer games industry. It is responsible for age rating reviews of digital games in Germany. The USK is recognized as a competent self-regulator under both the Federal Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Mediaof the German states. In the classic USK review process under the German Youth Protection Act, state representatives issue age ratings on the recommendation of independent youth protection experts. In addition, the USK also assigns its age ratings within the international IARC system for online games and apps. Numerous companies have joined the USK as members in order to cooperate permanently and particularly closely on the topic of youth protection. The USK is advised by an advisory board which, among other things, defines the USK principles and the guiding criteria for the tests.

The Voluntary Self-Regulation Body of the German Film Industry (FSK) is an institution of the Umbrella organization of the German Film Industry (SPIO), responsible for age rating reviews of films, series, and other filmic content intended for release in cinemas, online or on physical media in Germany. As part of co-regulation the FSK cooperates with the Supreme State Youth Authorities to offer legally secure age ratings. The FSK is recognized as a competent self-regulation body under both the Federal Youth Protection Act (JuSchG) and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media by the states (JMStV). The FSK advises film industry companies on the production and distribution of their content in accordance with the requirements of youth media protection. Additionally, the FSK assumes media-political and media-pedagogical responsibility and supports various projects aimed at promoting media competence and participation among children and adolescents.

Meta’s mission is to empower people to build communities and bring the world closer together. Today, more than two billion people worldwide use Facebook to stay connected with friends and people, learn what’s going on in the world, and share content that matters to them. Technology has changed the way people connect with each other. This change poses new challenges for parents in terms of keeping their children safe online. Together with strong partners, Meta therefore promotes projects that support parents and their children in building media literacy and safety online.