• Topic

    Special Protection

    Children should be protected from all forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of their welfare in relation to the digital environment.Exploitation may occur in many forms, such as economic exploitation, including child labour, sexual exploitation and abuse, the sale, trafficking and abduction of children and the recruitment of children to participate in criminal activities, including forms of cybercrime.

    By creating and sharing content, children may be economic actors in the digital environment, which may result in their exploitation.

Current news

Ansicht: EuroDIG 2025: Aufruf zur Programmgestaltung

EuroDIG: European Voices for the Future of the Internet

The next European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) will take place in Brussels on 26 and 27 May. Under the theme “European Voices for the Future of the Internet – Celebrating 20 Years of .eu and the Beginning of a New Internet Governance Era”, representatives from the fields of politics, industry, civil society, academia and technology will come together to discuss current developments and network. The hybrid event is hosted by the European Commission, at whose premises the conference will take place, and EURid. Registrations for in-person attendance are open until 15 May, whilst for virtual attendance remains open until the beginning of the event.

COFACE: Towards Digital Safety and Well-being for Children and their Families

The COFACE position paper, published in April 2026, addresses the introduction and enforcement of age restrictions on children’s and adolescents’ access to social media.

(c) Torsten Krause

Inaugural Age Assurance Industry Awards crown winners at gala

The age assurance industry has its Oscars. In a posh ceremony hosted by BBC presenter Charlie Stayt, the first-ever Age Assurance Industry Awards recognized organizations and individuals changing the face of the sector, and creating the path for its continued evolution.

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Addressing Children´s Rights at the DNS

From 7 to 12 March, the multistakeholder community will meet in Mumbai, India, for the ICANN 85 Community Forum to discuss current issues and developments related to the security and advancement of the Internet. Among other things, the focus will be on the (continued) work on universal acceptance, the development and implementation of a human rights impact assessment (HRIA) within ICANN structures, and the use of the domain name system. Many bodies will also discuss further preparations for the new generic top-level domain (gTLD) program. An overview of the main topics of the event can be found here.

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5Rights Foundation: Building a Digital Environment Designed with Children in Mind

The brochure presents an international blueprint for creating digital environments that respect and uphold children’s rights. Building on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, it outlines how digital spaces can be designed to effectively protect and promote children’s rights. The report examines common policy approaches, identifies implementation gaps, and sets out ten regulatory principles to guide legislators in applying international best practices.

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General comment No. 25 5th Anniversary Joint Letter

On the fifth anniversary of the adoption of General Comment No. 25 on children's rights in the digital environment, 53 organisations and signatories remind the States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to realise children's rights on the internet and in digital services.

Age Restrictions on Social Media – What Can We Learn from the Australian Model?

Political intention to introduce age restrictions on social media is intensifying across Europe. Several European Union member states are advancing national initiatives, reflecting growing concerns about the impact of social media on minors. France, Denmark, Greece and Spain are among the countries that have announced or introduced measures to restrict social media use by under-18s. - At the European supranational level, the debate is also gaining momentum. The European Union has set up a panel of child protection experts to advise on possible EU-wide age restrictions, with recommendations expected by the end of the summer.

Lisbon Council High-Level Working Lunch: „To Ban Or Not To Ban”

On Monday Feb. 9th, 2026, ahead of Safer Internet Day the Lisbon Council invited a group of experts to discuss what scientific evidence and practice teach us about children and social media. In the light of the Australian experiment on banning under 16th from a certain selection of social media platforms governments around the globe are rushing to decide whether to follow the same path or find a different approach.

Policy brief: Keeping Children Safe Online

The Policy brief, published in December 2025, is based on a comparative analysis of regulatory provisions for online platforms in six different jurisdictions.

Guidance on AI and Children

The publication, released in December 2025, provides updated guidelines for governments and companies on creating AI policies and systems that protect children's rights.