Starting in autumn 2025, an expert commission will examine the steps necessary for effective protection of children and young people in the media. Federal Youth Minister Karin Prien presented the commission's members, objectives and working methods at a federal press conference.

The impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents is a growing concern for society. In a discussion paper published in July 2025, the German National Academy of Sciences (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina e.V.) described the current situation as part of a „global mental health crisis“ affecting young people. The paper set out concrete recommendations for action to address this challenge.

On the second and third days of TrustCon, the focus was on procedures for assessing the impact on children's rights (Child Rights Impact Assessment) and regulatory sandboxes.

We are the new kids on the block taking part for the first time in TrustCon, an international conference on trust and safety in the digital world. And we are excited how prominently children’s best interest in the digital environment features among this highly technology oriented crowd.

Germany has taken a decisive step in the fight against sexual violence against children. The newly adopted law, the Gesetz zur Stärkung der Strukturen gegen sexuelle Gewalt an Kindern und Jugendlichen (UBSKMG), introduces measures to strengthen structures against sexual violence against children and young people.

Children eating ice cream, doing gymnastics on sports equipment or dressing up as adults: Images showing children and young people in everyday…

The final day of the IGF 2025 was all about multistakeholderism. As the IGF is the only global platform that enables individuals and organisations from around the world to raise issues related to the internet, it is praised for its lively discussions, which are informed by the participants expertise. However, it is also criticised for failing to deliver tangible outcomes and results.

Children's rights took center stage in the Plenary Hall of the Internet Governance Forum today. Further details are provided on the following sessions: "Securing Child Safety in the Age of Algorithms" and "Elevating Children's Voices in AI Design".

Although the rights of children to protection, provision and participation are all equally important and should not be prioritised over each other, sessions on the second day of the 2025 IGF put a strong focus on child protection.

Day Zero of the IGF 2025 startet with an opening key note by Karianne Tung, Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Norway stating that the Norwegian Government sees the IGF as a key part of the UN role in responsible human centric digital development. The questions addressed in the following five days are «about our lives and our common future», she said, demanding to build »a digital world that works for everyone ».