Türkiye is calling for common international standards to protect children from growing digital risks, with Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stressing that child safety must be built into digital systems from the design stage.
Speaking at a high-level panel at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Göktaş said the rapid development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence has created new risks for children that cannot be addressed through parental supervision or content controls alone.
“Children’s safety must be embedded into digital systems from the very beginning,” Göktaş said, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach that brings together governments, technology companies, families, educators and children themselves.
The panel, titled “Invisible Architecture: Building Safe Digital Systems for Children – Advancing International Standards and Shared Responsibility,” was organized by the Family and Social Services Ministry, UNICEF and the U.N. Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children during the 81st U.N. General Assembly High-Level Week.
Göktaş said children are increasingly exposed to risks including cyberbullying, harmful content, online abuse, privacy violations and addictive patterns of technology use.
She stressed that digital platforms must be designed with children's safety in mind rather than relying solely on interventions after harm occurs.
“Digital experiences transcend borders,” Göktaş said, underlining the need for the international community to establish common standards and mechanisms for protecting children's rights and safety online.
She also highlighted Türkiye's efforts to strengthen safeguards for children in the digital environment, including measures targeting social media platforms, age-related protections and mandatory age ratings for gaming platforms.
Göktaş pointed to the “Action Plan for Empowering Children in the Digital World” and the “Children Are Safe” application as part of Türkiye's efforts to help children and families navigate digital risks.
She also called for work toward a “Convention on the Rights of Children in the Digital World,” saying international cooperation must keep pace with the rapid transformation of digital technologies.
“Today’s digital systems will shape the future of children everywhere,” Göktaş said, adding that Türkiye would continue sharing its experience and strengthening international cooperation.
The panel was held under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdoğan and brought together international figures to discuss children's safety in the digital environment.
Belgian Queen Mathilde said children should not become subjects of a global technology experiment or be exploited by business models built around data collection and attention.
UNICEF Child Protection Director Sheema Sen Gupta also thanked Türkiye, Emine Erdoğan and Göktaş for bringing children's internet safety higher on the global agenda, stressing that protecting children in digital environments is a global responsibility.
Other participants highlighted risks including online abuse, cyberbullying, harmful content, privacy violations and the need for coordinated international action and enforceable rules.
