Policy

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  Age bans on social media

  10th August 2026

  A new EU Kids Online report examines children’s social media use, online risks and opportunities, and their views on age bans. The findings show that children are ambivalent about age restrictions and point towards safety-by-design and child rights-by-design approaches rather than blanket bans.

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  Protection through Online Participation

  9th June 2026

  We were pleased to support the publication of the new report, PoP: Protection through Online Participation – Guiding principles to facilitate children’s access to protection and support through digital means. The PoP Principles provide global guidance on strengthening online reporting and support systems for children.

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  Sexually exploitative practices against children

  18th July 2024

  The UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children has recently invited stakeholders to contribute to a report exploring the existing and emerging sexually exploitative practices and abuse against children in the digital environment. Drawing on primary data from the Disrupting Harm project’s survey with 12-17-year-olds across several countries, Global Kids Online provided input on the how technologies are being used to facilitate the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, and offer practical recommendations for making child online safety a reality.

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  Children’s participation in digital policy-making

  2nd December 2022

  A fundamental pillar to realise the rights of every child both in the online and offline space is the meaningful participation of all children, especially of those most vulnerable. The Government of Zimbabwe has sought to operationalise the child rights principles in the development of a policy framework and implementation tools to ensure a child rights-centered approach to online safety.

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  Do internet addiction and gaming disorders exist?

  8th November 2021

  Since the invention of online gaming, there have been concerns that video games were destroying the mental health of a generation. The WHO’s decision in 2018 to include Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) has reignited fears that online games can be addictive.

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  ITU launches new Child Online Protection guidelines

  3rd July 2020

  The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has just launched its 2020 Guidelines on Child Online Protection (COP), updating its earlier guidance on how to develop a safe and empowering online environment for children and young people. Now that one in three internet users is a child, and especially now that many children have come to rely on the internet during COVID-19, this guidance is greatly needed.

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