Safer Internet Day: secure internet starts with secure access

Publicroam call to action: If you offer Wi-Fi in public spaces, make sure everyone—especially young people—can connect securely.

Safer Internet Day, held every year on the second Tuesday of February, highlights how important it is for everyone—and certainly young people—to be able to use the internet securely. Attention is often rightly focused on content: what you see online, which content suits your age and development, and how we protect children from harmful or inappropriate information.

The internet now plays a crucial role in our society. It is not just a tool, but increasingly a fundamental need—and for many people, even a prerequisite for full participation. This is precisely why international legislation and awareness around online safety are growing, with special attention given to children and young people.

At the same time, one aspect of digital security deserves more attention: the way we connect to the internet in public places.

Open networks are vulnerable

Before someone can surf, stream, or communicate, they first need to connect. And that is exactly what happens—especially with young people—in public places such as stations, sports clubs, libraries, and other public locations. Open Wi-Fi networks are widely used there.

In practice, these open networks are vulnerable. Without proper security, data can be intercepted or a malicious actor can pose as a reliable network. Users don’t notice a thing, but unknowingly surf via a network that cannot be trusted. On insecure networks, third parties can monitor users’ data traffic and collect information about their online activities. In some cases, you can also be redirected to a fake login page, where login details are intercepted without you noticing.

In short, the gateways we have taken for granted for years—via open public Wi-Fi—are no longer sufficient in a digital society where so much personal and sensitive information travels over the internet.

Make sure people can connect securely

Fortunately, there is a growing awareness that digital security is not just about content, but also about access. We see that organizations such as NS, municipalities, museums, and port authorities are increasingly making conscious choices for more secure forms of public connectivity. This is not a luxury, but a necessary step.

That is why Publicroam is calling on everyone this Safer Internet Day to not only consider what happens online, but also how we go online. Secure internet starts with secure access. By investing consciously in this, we create a digital environment where young people—and everyone else—can connect freely, securely, and without worry.

About Publicroam

Publicroam is a Dutch tech start-up from Zeist, founded in 2018 with the goal of letting everyone connect to public Wi-Fi networks for free, securely, and in a privacy-friendly way. Today, this is possible at nearly 1,750 locations throughout the Netherlands, including NS, the Concertgebouw, Safety Region Groningen, and dozens of municipalities and libraries. More than 550,000 people have an account, and this number is growing fast. This makes Publicroam the largest secure Wi-Fi roaming network in the Netherlands.

Contact

For more information, please contact us at info@publicroam.net