e-Protect’s Competency Scale is now released!

In a bid to empower elders to safely access online services, our project e-Protect has released a comprehensive Competency Scale for necessary consumer and data protection skills elders should process for safe internet use.The scale, developed following a thorough assessment of research (desk research, interviews, questionnaires) conducted by the project team, seeks to empower older citizens in essential aspects of internet use. Based on the findings of said research, along with professional frameworks around these areas, the competences cover three main areas: Consumer behaviour and protection, online payments and transactions, and Data protection and privacy. These competencies are also framed using a four-levelled approach of proficiency: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert.

In addition to the Scale, the project team has summarised the findings of the research conducted in the process of developing the Competency Scale in a transnational report, which is also available on the project’s website.

The e-Protect project addresses the need to educate the elderly into safely accessing and engaging in online activities by experiencing an elevated level of consumer and personal data protection. It aims to develop the consumer and data protection competences of elder users during internet use through their familiarisation with the use of ICT tools, by providing them tailored training opportunities that will meet the modern society challenges. For more information and updates on e-Protect you can visit the project’s website here.