Page 8 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

Common Considerations for
Governments to Ensure Child A successful national COP strategy should:
Online Protection 1. be based on a holistic vision that incorporates government, industry, and
Online safety is a common industry and society;
international challenge, which offers an 2. result from an all-encompassing understanding and analysis of the overall
opportunity for all key stakeholders to digital environment yet be tailored to the country’s circumstances and priorities;
collaborate and establish child online 3. respect and be consistent with the fundamental rights of children as enshrined
safety principles and practices in order to in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other key international
help build a sustainable digital world. conventions and laws;
4. respect and be consistent with existing, similar and related domestic laws and
strategies in place such as child abuse laws or child safety strategies;
In order to develop an effective child online
protection policy, in accordance with the 5. respect children's civil rights and freedoms, which should not be sacrificed to
ITU COP Guidelines, the state should aim protection;
to unify all efforts to promote child online 6. be developed with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders including
protection. The state can also enter into children, addressing their needs and responsibilities and meeting the needs of
partnerships and consultative meetings minority and marginalized groups;
in order to develop a strategy rooted in 7. be designed to align with broader government plans for economic and social
the cause. Ideally, the strategy of the state prosperity and maximize the contribution of ICTs to sustainable development
should be to enact legislation centered on and social inclusion;
online child protection and the relevant 8. utilize the most appropriate policy instruments available to realize its objective,
legal framework. The state should also considering the country’s specific circumstances;
consider developing a reporting platform, 9. be set at the highest level of government, which will be responsible for assigning
where violations can be strictly dealt with. relevant roles and responsibilities and allocating sufficient human and financial
The regulatory framework, legislative resources;
framework, and the legal framework need 10. help build a digital environment that children, parents/caregivers and
to be construed in a harmony in order for stakeholders can trust;
an effective child online protection policy 11. guide efforts of stakeholders to empower and educate children on digital
to be fully implemented. literacy to protect themselves online.

Common Considerations for the 1. Adopting an empowerment and design principles in the company’s
Private Sector to Ensure Child education-based approach to child technologies and services and prioritize
Online Protection protection. Consider children’s data solutions that reduce the volume of
All private-sector players need to develop protection rights, their right to privacy data relating to children to a minimum.
corporate-wide policies regarding child and to freedom of speech, while offering 5. Implement age-appropriate designs
online protection. The rights of children education and guidance through the in the services offered, and present
should be clearly understood. The private company’s services. information to children regarding the
sector needs to work closely with the 2. Providing mechanisms such as parental rules of the site in an accessible and
state and relevant government entities as control software and other tools that age appropriate manner, providing the
a collaborative partner. The private sector enable parents and caretakers to appropriate amount of detail.
has a moral obligation to block out any manage their children’s access to 6. Ensuring that data collection policies
content that is in a direct violation of online Internet resources while providing comply with relevant laws concerning
child protection, specifically immoral guidance to them on their appropriate children and young people’s privacy,
content and content regarding child abuse usage so that children’s rights are not including considering whether
of all types. Furthermore, the services infringed on. These include block/allow parental consent is required before
offered by private companies should also lists, content filters, usage monitoring, commercial enterprises can collect
be filtered in an age appropriate manner. contact management and time/ personal information from or about a
Private companies must also impart program limits. child.
knowledge to their customers to enhance 3. Avoiding harmful or inappropriate
their safe experiences. advertising content online and establish In the interest of society and a healthy future
customer disclosure obligations for generation, child online protection needs to
Other important considerations for the service providers with content that is be effectively implemented and managed.
private sector, as specified by the ITU, intended for an adult audience and All regional and global stakeholders need
include: could be harmful to children and young to work together diligently to ensure that
people. ITU's COP Guidelines are heeded and
4. Adopting safety and privacy-by- implemented across the globe.

Source: Information is taken from the ITU Publications, Guidelines for policy-makers on Child Online Protection 2020, Guidelines for industry on Child Online Protection 2020

8 AUGUST 2020