The European Union is facing mounting calls to put children's well-being at the heart of its digital policies, as a coalition of more than 140 rights groups and experts pushes for stronger safeguards across online services.
"Europeans have had enough of tech companies exploiting our children, but we also expect more from our leaders than quick-fix bans on kids, while toxic services continue to thrive,” said Leanda Barrington-Leach, executive director of 5Rights Foundation, which organized the statement Tuesday.
The 144 signatories urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to turn recommendations from the Commission’s expert panel on child safety online into EU law, according to the statement.
They said technology providers, rather than children or parents, should bear the burden of proving that services accessible to children are safe.
"Children need and deserve safe, age-appropriate digital services. The EU has the power to set a bar and require tech companies to prove they meet it before accessing children,” said Barrington-Leach.
The groups want mandatory age-appropriate safety standards, independent risk assessments and pre-certification procedures requiring companies to demonstrate compliance before launching, operating or updating services accessible to children.
They also asked for independent auditing and strong enforcement to ensure compliance.
"Children should not be expected to carry the burden of keeping themselves safe in digital environments designed to maximise engagement and profit,” according to Mieke Schuurman, director of Child Rights and Capacity Building at Eurochild.
"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,” she said.
Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said the EU should introduce binding safety standards rather than rely on blanket restrictions on teens.
"It is time for the EU to set new robust standards for safe online platforms that place children’s rights and safety at the heart of the process,” said Geddie.
The demand comes weeks after France’s Constitutional Council struck down legislation that would have banned social media for those under the age of 15, citing concerns about broad restrictions and their effect on children’s rights.
The signatories welcomed the EU expert panel’s focus on safety-by-design and age-appropriate design, and urged von der Leyen to commit to a harmonized European approach in her Sept. 16 State of the Union address.
