Child digital safety council charts unified protection plan

Child Digital Safety Council has held its first meeting, marking the start of a coordinated national drive to protect children online while supporting their cognitive and social development in an increasingly connected environment. Officials said the council will serve as a central platform to align regulatory oversight, policy design and public awareness campaigns under a single framework.

The inaugural session brought together representatives from ministries overseeing education, telecommunications, justice and social development, alongside regulators and child welfare specialists. Participants agreed on the need for a unified approach as children’s screen time rises and exposure to online risks evolves from cyberbullying to data exploitation and harmful content algorithms.

Authorities described the council’s mandate as twofold: strengthening safeguards against digital harms and ensuring young people can benefit from technology in a balanced way. That includes addressing concerns over mental health impacts, addictive design features, misinformation, online grooming and privacy breaches. The meeting set out initial priorities, including drafting baseline safety standards for digital platforms accessible to minors, expanding parental guidance programmes and reviewing age-verification mechanisms.

The formation of the council comes amid mounting global scrutiny of how technology companies design and moderate products used by children. Legislators in several jurisdictions have tightened rules around targeted advertising to minors and imposed heavier penalties for platforms that fail to remove harmful content. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals have linked excessive social media use among adolescents to anxiety, sleep disruption and reduced attention spans, although researchers caution that impacts vary depending on usage patterns and individual vulnerability.

Officials involved in the council’s launch acknowledged that outright restrictions are unlikely to be effective without broader digital literacy efforts. “Children’s engagement with technology is not inherently negative; it is the context and safeguards that determine outcomes,” one senior participant said, noting that policy responses must balance protection with access to educational and creative tools.

Data from telecommunications regulators show that children are accessing the internet at younger ages, often through smartphones rather than shared family devices. Industry analysts estimate that a significant proportion of children aged between eight and 15 maintain at least one social media account, despite many platforms setting minimum age thresholds at 13. Enforcement of those age limits remains inconsistent, raising questions about the reliability of self-declared birthdates and existing verification systems.

The council’s early discussions focused on harmonising standards across sectors that have traditionally operated in parallel. Education authorities are expected to contribute curriculum reforms aimed at embedding digital citizenship skills in classrooms. Telecommunications regulators will examine compliance mechanisms for service providers, while justice officials will assess whether existing legislation adequately addresses emerging online offences involving minors.

Child psychologists and advocacy groups welcomed the establishment of a formal coordinating body, arguing that fragmented oversight has limited the effectiveness of past initiatives. They emphasised the importance of evidence-based policy grounded in behavioural science rather than reactive regulation. Research has shown that parental mediation, combined with clear platform accountability, yields better outcomes than blanket bans.

Technology companies are also likely to be drawn into the council’s consultations. Major platforms have rolled out tools such as parental controls, screen-time dashboards and content filters, yet critics contend that these measures often shift responsibility onto families without addressing systemic design incentives that prioritise engagement. The council is expected to review whether voluntary codes of conduct are sufficient or whether binding obligations should be introduced.

International precedents offer insight into possible policy pathways. Some countries have introduced online safety acts that impose duty-of-care requirements on platforms hosting user-generated content. Others have explored stricter age-appropriate design codes that limit data collection from minors and restrict profiling for advertising purposes. Officials indicated that the council will study comparative models before recommending any legislative amendments.

Public awareness emerged as another pillar of the new framework. Participants agreed that outreach campaigns must target not only parents and educators but also children themselves, equipping them with practical skills to recognise manipulation, protect personal information and report abuse. Civil society organisations are expected to partner with government agencies to deliver workshops and digital literacy resources.

Economic considerations also featured in the discussions. The digital economy contributes significantly to national growth, and policymakers are mindful of avoiding measures that could stifle innovation or deter investment. Balancing child protection with technological advancement will require careful calibration, especially as artificial intelligence tools become embedded in educational and entertainment platforms.

Analysts note that AI-driven recommendation systems can amplify harmful content if left unchecked, yet the same technologies can be harnessed to detect abuse and flag inappropriate material more efficiently. The council is likely to explore how automated moderation and human oversight can work in tandem to improve online safety outcomes.