Keeping the digital world safe for children is a priority and those responsible for harmful practices online must be held accountable, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. TASR informs about it based on the AFP report.
The High Commissioner stressed that states must force tech giants to include child protection measures in their systems, as harm is a direct result of business practices and the way the systems are designed. “The digital world connects children to education, community and creativity, but it also puts them at real risk to their safety, privacy and mental well-being,” Türk said in a statement.
Risks of digital practices
“Risks are neither necessary nor irreversible, they are the result of system design decisions and business practices that weaken security”, such as addictive endless viewing of content or automatic playback of material and receiving numerous notifications from applications, the commissioner stressed.
“Strengthening the protection of children in the online space is an urgent priority that must not only be ensured, but must be ensured properly,” Türk pointed out. The Commissioner therefore called on countries and technology companies to take stronger measures to create a safer environment for children through better regulation, oversight and accountability.
Call for systemic changes
According to Türk, limiting access to social networks is not a solution, it is necessary to change the design of the system and the algorithms that make the online environment a dangerous place, and not shift the responsibility to children and parents.
The Office of the UN Commissioner has therefore developed a series of ten guidelines entitled “How to properly ensure the safety of children online”, which are devoted to data protection and advertising, for example.
“Whatever regulations are adopted, it is essential to prevent unintentionally causing further damage. For example, an incorrect method of age verification can not only fail, but also endanger the privacy of children and adults,” Türk added.
