PRESS RELEASE: CTU launches "Digital Lighthouse." It offers parents advice on protecting their children online, including practical settings for phones and social media.
Prague, 15 September 2026 – How can you talk to your child about the dangers of the online world and set up their phone and apps safely? How can you limit inappropriate content on social media? What should you do if your child is communicating with someone they know only from the internet? And how can you tell that something is wrong, even if your child doesn’t say anything?
The Digital Lighthouse (the content in Czech for now), the new information portal of the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU), will provide answers to these and other questions. It will offer parents a practical handbook, tutorials and videos (First Phone, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok) that show step by step the settings of specific devices, applications and services, as well as the importance of open communication with the child.
“The digital world is now a natural part of life for both children and adults. Our goal, therefore, is not to scare people or tell them not to use technology. We want to provide them with information and practical tools that will help them better navigate the digital environment and move through it more safely,” says Marek Ebert, Chairman of the CTU.
From DSA and AI to parents’ daily concerns
The Digital Lighthouse serves as a practical guide for the public and brings together information from the three main areas that CTU focuses on in the online world: digital services and the DSA, the supervision of artificial intelligence and the safety of children in the online environment.
In the section on the Digital Services Act (DSA), visitors will find explanations on common situations they may encounter online, answers to frequently asked questions, as well as information on how the DSA helps users of digital services. A separate section is dedicated to the supervision of AI. The CTU explains clearly what the European AI Act means to the public, how the new rules affect the public and what the public can expect from regulation.
The largest part of the Digital Lighthouse is dedicated to the protection of children online. Here, parents can find three main practical materials: guide on how to protect children in the digital world, guidance on setting up protection and parental supervision on phones, apps, social media, computers and game consoles (paper and video) and Ten Tips for Parents on Keeping Children Safe Online.
It's not just about bans. Trust is what matters.
The CTU guide is organized by the child’s age and highlights situations that parents may encounter with preschoolers, younger school-age children, and teenagers. It does not focus solely on technical restrictions. The biggest problem isn’t that a child makes a mistake online; the greatest risk arises when a child is afraid to come to a parent for help. Open communication is therefore one of the main principles of the CTU’s recommendations. For younger children, it’s important to explore content together; for older children, trust, privacy, online relationships, and the ability to recognize risky situations gradually come to the forefront. The recommendations also include specific family rules—such as screen-free evenings, charging phones outside the bedroom, or exploring a new app together before using it. Technical safeguards, however, are not meant to replace the parent-child relationship. Parental controls are not about spying on a child, but rather serve as a “safety net” for the child. They are designed to prevent a child from encountering content they are not yet ready for and to enable them to navigate the online environment safely and independently.
Video, audio and other resources
The Digital Lighthouse also offers a video and audio stream. The portal includes a media archive and a directory of partner institutions and other useful sources of information. The Digital Lighthouse is available from 15 September 2026 at: digimajak.ctu.gov.cz.