Ensuring Children’s Safety and Equality Online: Challenges and Initiatives in the Digital Age on International Children’s Day

In a report by the British Consumer Council, children of this era were referred to as the “screen generation”. Currently, hundreds of millions of children around the world are using the Internet to study and socialize. Children also bring new safety concerns when using the Internet.Today is International Children’s Day, let’s understandHow countries can ensure children’s safety and equality online in the digital age。

What is the reason for the establishment of International Children’s Day?

International Children’s Day was established by the Council of the International Democratic Women’s Federation held in Moscow in November 1949. The reason why the time was determined as June 1 is mainly to commemorate the Lidice tragedy that occurred in June 1942.

‘Digital divide’ persists for children online

The web has created unprecedented opportunities for children and young people to communicate, learn, socialize and play, helping them gain access to new ideas and a wider variety of sources of information.

In November 2020, UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union jointly released a report. This report analyzes the home network coverage of children and youth under the age of 25 in 85 countries around the world. According to the data, there are 1.3 billion school-age children aged 3-17 who do not have access to the Internet at home, accounting for two-thirds of the total number of school-age children in the world. above.

Students at the JR Orphanage in Rajasthan, India, watch Bollywood comedy on their smartphones.Source: United Nations

Disparities in access to the Internet are perpetuating already existing inequalities between countries and communities, with children and adolescents from low-income countries, rural areas and poor households faring far behind their peers and catching up, the report says. The chances are getting smaller and smaller.

children onlineViolations cannot be ignored

The official website of the United Nations shows that children are currently spending an unprecedented amount of time online, and the age of children online is getting younger and younger. Globally, a child goes online for the first time every half a second! When online, children and young people may be exposed to hate speech and violent content, including extremist messages such as incitement to self-harm. Children are also at risk of privacy violations when technology companies collect data for marketing purposes. Marketing to children through apps and excessive screen use by children can be detrimental to children’s healthy development.

Source: pixabay

The Chinese media “Guangming Daily” recently published an article stating that with the increasing penetration of the Internet, in recent years, cyber crimes have shown a high incidence and younger age. The risks of minors using the Internet include “disclosure of personal privacy”, “cyber-bullying, violence”, “blind star chasing, support from fans”, “loan financial fraud” and other issues.

Global Activism to Keep Children Safe Online

The Internet is the common home of mankind. How to ensure the safety of children and youth online has become a global challenge. Countries around the world are actively implementing various initiatives to keep children and youth safe online.

UNICEF works with social media platforms to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about cyberbullying and provide advice on how to deal with them. Meanwhile, UN agencies and partners, including private-sector innovators, are forging a digital path in hopes of enhancing online safety, especially for children and young people.

On October 20, 2019, the Sixth World Internet Conference “Online Minor Protection and Ecological Governance” forum was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. Chinese and foreign experts and scholars conducted heated and in-depth discussions on “Online Minor Protection and Ecological Governance”.

On November 21, 2018, a group of art installations called “Internet Cocoons” were exhibited at the UNICEF headquarters.Source: United Nations official website

The United States has successively promulgated the Children’s Internet Protection Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The former requires that libraries and primary and secondary schools that receive specific federal funding must use network filtering technology to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate and harmful online content. The latter restricts the collection of online personal information for children under the age of 13. When children under the age of 13 use some website services, the website must obtain parental consent.

In order to better protect the online safety of minors, the UAE government and non-governmental organizations have launched a number of measures. At the legal level, severely crack down on unhealthy online content and online crimes, and those who commit serious crimes will be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment and face high fines. In terms of prevention, the United Arab Emirates has set up a youth safety online hotline and launched relevant mobile phone applications. Once cyberbullying behavior is found, it can immediately report to the police.

Spain’s “Organizational Law on Data Protection and Digital Human Rights Protection” additionally stipulates that any unauthorized use of minors’ portraits and information will be severely punished without the consent of teenagers over the age of 14 or the guardians of minors under the age of 14.

Source: pixabay

In August 2019, the Chinese government issued the “Regulations on the Protection of Children’s Personal Information”, which will come into effect on October 1, 2019. This is China’s first legislation specifically aimed at children’s online protection, which is a milestone. The “Regulations” clarify that no organization or individual shall produce, publish, or disseminate information that infringes on the security of children’s personal information, and establishes specific principles for the protection of children’s personal information on the Internet. In addition, the Chinese government and the UK have jointly hosted a number of China-UK Internet Roundtables, and reached a number of consensus on cooperation in the fields of network security and children’s online protection.

In 2022, the European Commission adopted a new strategy of “Building a Better Internet for Children”, which aims to provide children with scientific online guidance and prevent children from being exposed to harmful information on the Internet. According to the new strategy, the European Commission will strengthen age verification when surfing the Internet, formulate online age verification standards before 2024, and improve the accuracy of age verification through “European digital identity” and other means.

Audit:Zhang Ning plan:Li Zhengwei Author:Li Fei, Liu Hao edit:Muziye

reference:People’s Daily, People’s Daily Online, Xinhua Net, China Netcom, United Nations official website

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责编：孔繁鑫 ]