Regulate tech, not kids, say 140+ organisations and experts ahead of EU State of the Union
Eurochild joins more than 140 organisations and experts in child rights in calling for a Europe-wide framework for digital safety ahead of the State of the European Union address.
In their letter, the signatories welcome the EU Commission’s expert panel’s report for its focus on safety-by-design and age-appropriate design. They support the recommendation that providers should bear the burden of demonstrating that services accessible to children are safe.
They are calling on President von der Leyen to use the State of the European Union address to commit to a harmonised EU approach that makes safety a condition of providing digital services to children.
They recommend establishing:
- Mandatory age-appropriate safety norms for digital products and services, with age-tiered gating of risky features and functionalities as well as positive safeguards.
- Independent risk assessments on child safety and pre-certification processes requiring companies to demonstrate compliance before launching, operating or updating services accessible to children.
- Independent auditing and strong enforcement to ensure compliance.
Mieke Schuurman, Eurochild Director of Child Rights and Capacity Building said, "Children should not be expected to carry the burden of keeping themselves safe in digital environments designed to maximise engagement and profit. The EU has an opportunity to set a clear standard grounded in children’s rights: digital services accessible to children must be safe by design and by default, backed by independent risk assessments and strong enforcement."
