Taken from “Unequal Childhoods: Rights on paper should be rights in practice” Eurochild 2025 flagship report on children in need across Europe.
This sub-report synthesises evidence on children’s rights in the digital environment, with input from members from all countries.
Challenges faced by children in the digital environment:
- Child sexual abuse and exploitation: Child sexual abuse material, AI-generated CSAM, Grooming;
- Online safety and platform accountability: Excessive time spent in the digital environment, Exposure to harmful content, Cyberbullying;
- Data protection and age verification: Sharenting and childfluencers/kidsfluencer;
- Emerging tech and commercial practices: Artificial Intelligence, Online gambling, Gaming and advertising;
- The digital divide.
Recommendations
- Protect children from child sexual abuse and exploitation
- Make platform accountability work for children in practice
- Tackle addictive and manipulative design and harmful commercial practices
- Guarantee children’s privacy and data protection
- Protect children from harms linked to AI and other emerging technologies
- Close the digital divide as a children’s rights issue
- Strengthen evidence, enforcement and participation