Why has this been placed in my socket, and is it safe to remove?

[alma.freya]

My washing machine socket has a small white cap inside that is preventing me plugging in my washing machine. It's in the bathroom so perhaps it is there to protect against moisture?

Has anyone seen one before?

[alma.freya]

Okay my landlord told me it is protection for children and said I can pry it out with a screwdriver, which worked. Of course I turned off all the fuses first.

[Krieg]

Indeed protection for children, you didn’t have to remove it, you put the two prongs of the plug in the two holes of the protector and then rotate the plug until you find the socket holes and the plug goes in. Normally you have to rotate 90 degrees.

[Franklan]

Indeed protection for children, you didn’t have to remove it, you put the two prongs of the plug in the two holes of the protector and then rotate the plug until you find the socket holes and the plug goes in. Normally you have to rotate 90 degrees.

The problem is: The picture as posted by the OP only shows one hole...

The OP has found this in a socket:

Steckdose1.jpg (31.64 KiB) Viewed 462 times

That one hole is there to also make it compatible with the French style of sockets where PE is not the two clamps on the side but is a pin protruding out of the socket ("one size fits all"):

Steckdose2.jpg (31.95 KiB) Viewed 462 times

The "protection device(s)" as mentioned by Krieg looks different:

Steckdose3jpg.jpg (222.15 KiB) Viewed 462 times