Description: Online child protection has become a growing concern among policymakers, industry leaders, academia and civil society organisations. In the era of artificial intelligence, children are increasingly exposed to even-more sophisticated risks. AI-powered tools and content such as deepfakes can easily provide harmful content when prompted. There are a variety of AI chatbots that are specially designed for an “erotic” experience. Governments and international organisations worldwide have initiated legal, regulatory and policy frameworks to address child online protection. As part of the draft law to secure and regulate the digital space in France, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) will most likely be in charge of establishing a reference framework setting out the minimum technical requirements for age verification systems for pornographic sites while the European Union is carrying out consultations on a proposal for a Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material. In Cameroon, the charter on Child Online Protection adopted in 2023 states that ISP‘s need to “set up mechanisms for reporting content or behavior that undermines the dignity and integrity of children.” The following aspects will be discussed and further developed in the workshop: (i) Harmonize regulations against new online threats to children: There is a need for regulatory harmonization to safeguard children online as they face threats in the digital domain that are cross-border in nature. (ii) Promote cyber literacy among children, parents, and educators: Alerting children on new online risks through courses and awareness campaigns is critical. Parents and teachers should also be involved in the learning process. (iii) Promote multistakeholder exchange of expertise and experience: A comprehensive dialogue among all stakeholders should be strongly encouraged with the main objective of promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise in child online protection.
Open Zoom
