Safer Internet Day 2026: Over 50,000 Young People Discuss How to Deal with AI Companions

Safer Internet Day has met with a great response throughout Germany: more than 1,000 schools, associations, libraries, companies and initiatives are getting involved with their own campaigns and events. The high level of participation underscores the broad societal commitment to media literacy and the responsible use of digital technologies. Once again, the klicksafe school lesson is in high demand, with over 50,000 young people taking part on the day of action. Safer Internet Day has been coordinated in Germany for more than 20 years by the EU initiative klicksafe.

Under the motto “AI and me. In artificial relationships.”, Safer Internet Day 2026 focuses on the growing influence of artificial intelligence and artificial companions on the everyday lives, communication and relationships of young people. Together, the partners of the Safer Internet DE network are implementing Safer Internet Day with a wide range of activities. In doing so, they are reaching not only thousands of schoolchildren, but also educational professionals and parents. In addition to the klicksafe Awareness Centre, the network includes the complaints offices of eco, FSM and jugendschutz.net, as well as the counselling services of Nummer gegen Kummer e.V.

Karin Prien, German Federal Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the government: “For many of us, AI has long been a helpful companion in everyday life: it drafts letters to authorities, explains complicated issues, helps with learning and even gives tips on how to deal with heartbreak. It seems to have an answer to everything in seconds. But this apparent ‘understanding’ remains a digital illusion. A machine does not empathise, it does not read between the lines and it does not hold anyone’s hand. Young people in particular are increasingly using AI as a kind of therapist – but it has clear limitations. Real relationships develop through interaction with other people, including through disagreement, closeness and shared experiences. Social cohesion grows out of real conversations and encounters, not algorithms. That is why it is so important that the klicksafe initiative draws attention to this connection and reminds us as a society of our responsibility towards children and young people. My thanks go to everyone who is making Safer Internet Day something special with their innovative ideas.”

“With this year’s motto ‘AI and me.’, Safer Internet Day draws attention to a highly topical and relevant issue. The question of how AI influences the lives of young people is one of the most important questions of our time. That is why we need to engage with everyday AI companions. This also includes asking ethical questions in order to be able to decide how we want to live,” said Alexander Schweitzer, Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Chair of the Broadcasting Commission of the German Federal States. “Parents today face the challenge of guiding their children in a world increasingly characterised by artificial proximity. At the same time, we want to empower young people to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technologies and to recognise the risks. The diverse activities and events of Safer Internet Day show how committed people throughout Germany are to a safe and responsible online environment,” the Minister-President continued.

A key feature of the EU initiative klicksafe this year is once again the klicksafe school lesson, which will be streamed live into classrooms across Germany on Safer Internet Day and will focus on the influence of AI chatbots on the everyday lives of young people. More than 50,000 schoolchildren across Germany will reflect on how AI bots function as digital conversation partners or advisors, where their limits lie and why they cannot replace human relationships.

“The high demand for the klicksafe school lesson highlights the great need for age-appropriate, media-educational training programmes,” said Deborah Woldemichael, Head of the EU initiative klicksafe at the State Media Authority of Rhineland-Palatinate. “Young people need opportunities and spaces to critically question digital developments and to develop their own point of view.”

All SID activities, including a nationwide interactive event map, materials and further information, can be found at www.klicksafe.de/sid.

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Further offers from klicksafe and activities from the Safer Internet DE network for #SID26

• klicksafe school lesson on 10 February from 10:00 to 11:00 on the topic of “AI and me.”
• Videos: three AI-generated short clips on the topic of “AI and me.”
• Teaching material “AI and me. How artificial intelligence shapes our lives.”
• Parent guide “My child and AI. Growing up with artificial proximity.”
• Info cards on relationship offers from AI bots on the topics of friendship, comfort and love.
• Webinar on 12 February 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00, by klicksafe and FSM to present the new teaching material “AI and me. How artificial intelligence shapes our lives.”
• Webinar by the German Safer Internet Centre on 25 February 2026, from 14:00 to 15:30, on the topic of “Smart helpers or false friends? Chatbots as an opportunity and risk for children and young people.”
• Logos, share pics and materials for the campaign “AI and me. In artificial relationships.”

All materials and further information on SID 2026 and the campaign “AI and me. In artificial relationships.” can be found on the landing page www.klicksafe.de/sid or in the press kit. Safer Internet Day is accompanied on social media by #SID26, #SaferInternetDay and #KIandMe.

About Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global day of action for greater online safety and for a better Internet for children and young people. It has been held on the second Tuesday of February every year since 2004 and each year focuses on a new theme under the international motto “Together for a better internet”. In Germany, Safer Internet Day is coordinated by the EU initiative klicksafe.

About the Safer Internet DE network

The European Union’s Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) supports Safer Internet Centres in 27 European countries with the aim of promoting media literacy among children, parents and teachers, raising awareness of potential risks on the internet and offering children and young people advice on online issues. Complaint centres for illegal online content are also provided. In Germany, the Safer Internet Centre is implemented by the Safer Internet DE network. In addition to the complaint centres of eco, FSM and jugendschutz.net, this network includes the Awareness Centre klicksafe and the counselling services of Nummer gegen Kummer e.V.

ABout eco

With around 1,000 member companies, eco (www.eco.de) is the leading association for the internet industry in Europe. Since 1995, eco has played a key role in shaping the internet, promoting new technologies, creating framework conditions and representing the interests of its members in politics and international committees. eco has offices in Cologne, Berlin and Brussels. eco is committed to a powerful, reliable and trustworthy ecosystem of digital infrastructures and services and has stood for a responsible network for 30 years.