Children’s rights

EU moves forward on new online child protection rules

EU member states reached a common position on a regulation intended to reduce online child sexual abuse.

The proposal introduces obligations for digital service providers to prevent the spread of harmful content and to respond when national authorities require the removal, blocking or delisting of material.

A framework that requires providers to assess how their services could be misused and to adopt measures that lower the risk.

Authorities will classify services into three categories based on objective criteria, allowing targeted obligations for higher-risk environments. Victims will be able to request assistance when seeking the removal or disabling of material that concerns them.

The regulation establishes an EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse, which will support national authorities, process reports from companies and maintain a database of indicators. The Centre will also work with Europol to ensure that relevant information reaches law enforcement bodies in member states.

The Council position makes permanent the voluntary activities already carried out by companies, including scanning and reporting, which were previously supported by a temporary exemption.

Formal negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin with the aim of adopting the final regulation.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU faces new battles over digital rights

EU policy debates intensified after Denmark abandoned plans for mandatory mass scanning in the draft Child Sexual Abuse Regulation. Advocates welcomed the shift yet warned that new age checks and potential app bans still threaten privacy.

France and the UK advanced consultations on good practice guidelines for cyber intrusion firms, seeking more explicit rules for industry responsibility. Civil society groups also marked two years of the Digital Services Act by reflecting on enforcement experience and future challenges.

Campaigners highlighted rising concerns about tech-facilitated gender violence during the 16 Days initiative. The Centre for Democracy and Technology launched fresh resources stressing encryption protection, effective remedies and more decisive action against gendered misinformation.

CDT Europe also criticised the Commission’s digital omnibus package for weakening safeguards under laws, including the AI Act. The group urged firm enforcement of existing frameworks while exploring better redress options for AI-related harms in the EU legislation.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot! 

Australia moves to curb nudify tools after eSafety action

A major provider of three widely used nudify services has cut off Australian access after enforcement action from eSafety.

The company received an official warning in September for allowing its tools to be used to produce AI-generated material that harmed children.

A withdrawal that follows concerns about incidents involving school students and repeated reminders that online services must meet Australia’s mandatory safety standards.

eSafety stated that Australia’s codes and standards are encouraging companies to adopt stronger safeguards.

The Commissioner noted that preventing the misuse of consumer tools remains central to reducing the risk of harm and that more precise boundaries can lower the likelihood of abuse affecting young people.

Attention has also turned to underlying models and the hosting platforms that distribute them.

Hugging Face has updated its terms to require users to take steps to mitigate the risks associated with uploaded models, including preventing misuse for generating harmful content. The company is required to act when reports or internal checks reveal breaches of its policies.

eSafety indicated that failure to comply with industry codes or standards can lead to enforcement measures, including significant financial penalties.

The agency is working with the government on further reforms intended to restrict access to nudify tools and strengthen protections across the technology stack.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Online platforms face new EU duties on child protection

The EU member states have endorsed a position for new rules to counter child sexual abuse online. The plan introduces duties for digital services to prevent the spread of abusive material. It also creates an EU Centre to coordinate enforcement and support national authorities.

Service providers must assess how their platforms could be misused and apply mitigation measures. These may include reporting tools, stronger privacy defaults for minors, and controls over shared content. National authorities will review these steps and can order additional action where needed.

A three-tier risk system will categorise services as high, medium, or low risk. High-risk platforms may be required to help develop protective technologies. Providers that fail to comply with obligations could face financial penalties under the regulation.

Victims will be able to request the removal or disabling of abusive material depicting them. The EU Centre will verify provider responses and maintain a database to manage reports. It will also share relevant information with Europol and law enforcement bodies.

The Council supports extending voluntary scanning for abusive content beyond its current expiry. Negotiations with the European Parliament will now begin on the final text. The Parliament adopted its position in 2023 and will help decide the Centre’s location.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Virginia sets new limits on AI chatbots for minors

Lawmakers in Virginia are preparing fresh efforts to regulate AI as concerns grow over its influence on minors and vulnerable users.

Legislators will return in January with a set of proposals focused on limiting the capabilities of chatbots, curbing deepfakes and restricting automated ticket-buying systems. The push follows a series of failed attempts last year to define high-risk AI systems and expand protections for consumers.

Delegate Michelle Maldonado aims to introduce measures that restrict what conversational agents can say in therapeutic interactions instead of allowing them to mimic emotional support.

Her plans follow the well-publicised case of a sixteen-year-old who discussed suicidal thoughts with a chatbot before taking his own life. She argues that young people rely heavily on these tools and need stronger safeguards that recognise dangerous language and redirect users towards human help.

Maldonado will also revive a previous bill on high-risk AI, refining it to address particular sectors rather than broad categories.

Delegate Cliff Hayes is preparing legislation to require labels for synthetic media and to block AI systems from buying event tickets in bulk instead of letting automated tools distort prices.

Hayes already secured a law preventing predictions from AI tools from being the sole basis for criminal justice decisions. He warns that the technology has advanced too quickly for policy to remain passive and urges a balance between innovation and protection.

Proposals that come as the state continues to evaluate its regulatory environment under an executive order issued by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

The order directs AI systems to scan the state code for unnecessary or conflicting rules, encouraging streamlined governance instead of strict statutory frameworks. Observers argue that human oversight remains essential as legislators search for common ground on how far to extend regulatory control.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Australia strengthens parent support for new social media age rules

Yesterday, Australia entered a new phase of its online safety framework after the introduction of the Social Media Minimum Age policy.

eSafety has established a new Parent Advisory Group to support families as the country transitions to enhanced safeguards for young people. The group held its first meeting, with the Commissioner underlining the need for practical and accessible guidance for carers.

The initiative brings together twelve organisations representing a broad cross-section of communities in Australia, including First Nations families, culturally diverse groups, parents of children with disability and households in regional areas.

Their role is to help eSafety refine its approach, so parents can navigate social platforms with greater confidence, rather than feeling unsupported during rapid regulatory change.

A group that will advise on parent engagement, offer evidence-informed insights and test updated resources such as the redeveloped Online Safety Parent Guide.

Their advice will aim to ensure materials remain relevant, inclusive and able to reach priority communities that often miss out on official communications.

Members will serve voluntarily until June 2026 and will work with eSafety to improve distribution networks and strengthen the national conversation on digital literacy. Their collective expertise is expected to shape guidance that reflects real family experiences instead of abstract policy expectations.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Character AI blocks teen chat and introduces new interactive Stories feature

A new feature called ‘Stories’ from Character.AI allows users under 18 to create interactive fiction with their favourite characters. The move replaces open-ended chatbot access, which has been entirely restricted for minors amid concerns over mental health risks.

Open-ended AI chatbots can initiate conversations at any time, raising worries about overuse and addiction among younger users.

Several lawsuits against AI companies have highlighted the dangers, prompting Character.AI to phase out access for minors and introduce a guided, safety-focused alternative.

Industry observers say the Stories feature offers a safer environment for teens to engage with AI characters while continuing to explore creative content.

The decision aligns with recent AI regulations in California and ongoing US federal proposals to limit minors’ exposure to interactive AI companions.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

MEPs call for stronger online protection for children

The European Parliament is urging stronger EU-wide measures to protect minors online, calling for a harmonised minimum age of 16 for accessing social media, video-sharing platforms, and AI companions. Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 16 would only be allowed to join such platforms with their parents’ consent.

MEPs say the move responds to growing concerns about the impact of online environments on young people’s mental health, attention span, and exposure to manipulative design practices.

The report, adopted by a large majority of MEPs, also calls for stricter enforcement of existing EU rules and greater accountability from tech companies. Lawmakers seek accurate, privacy-preserving age verification tools, including the forthcoming EU age-verification app and the European digital identity wallet.

They also propose making senior managers personally liable in cases of serious, repeated breaches, especially when platforms fail to implement adequate protections for minors.

Beyond age limits, Parliament is calling for sweeping restrictions on harmful features that fuel digital addiction. That includes banning practices such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, reward loops, and dark patterns for minors, as well as prohibiting non-compliant websites altogether.

MEPs also want engagement-based recommendation systems and randomised gaming mechanics like loot boxes outlawed for children, alongside tighter controls on influencer marketing, targeted ads, and commercial exploitation through so-called ‘kidfluencing.’

The report highlights growing public concern, as most Europeans view protecting children online as an urgent priority amid rising rates of problematic smartphone use among teenagers. Rapporteur Christel Schaldemose said the measures mark a turning point, signalling that platforms can no longer treat children as test subjects.

‘The experiment ends here,’ she said, urging consistent enforcement of the Digital Services Act to ensure safer digital spaces for Europe’s youngest users.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot! 

OpenAI clarifies position in sensitive lawsuit

A legal case is underway involving OpenAI and the family of a teenager who had extensive interactions with ChatGPT before his death.

OpenAI has filed a response in court that refers to its terms of use and provides additional material for review. The filing also states that more complete records were submitted under seal so the court can assess the situation in full.

The family’s complaint includes concerns about the model’s behaviour and the company’s choices, while OpenAI’s filing outlines its view of the events and the safeguards it has in place. Both sides present different interpretations of the same interactions, which the court will evaluate.

OpenAI has also released a public statement describing its general approach to sensitive cases and the ongoing development of safety features intended to guide users towards appropriate support.

The case has drawn interest because it relates to broader questions about safety measures within conversational AI systems.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Teens launch High Court bid to stop Australia’s under-16 social media ban

Two teenagers in Australia have taken the federal government to the High Court in an effort to stop the country’s under-16 social media ban, which is due to begin on 10 December. The case was filed by the Digital Freedom Project with two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, listed as plaintiffs. The group says the law strips young people of their implied constitutional right to political communication.

The ban will lead to the deactivation of more than one million accounts held by users under 16 across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Facebook and Instagram. The Digital Freedom Project argues that removing young people from these platforms blocks them from engaging in public debate. Neyland said the rules silence teens who want to share their views on issues that affect them.

The Digital Freedom Project’s president, John Ruddick, is a Libertarian Party politician in New South Wales. After the lawsuit became public, Communications Minister Anika Wells told Parliament the government would not shift its position in the face of legal threats. She said the government’s priority is supporting parents rather than platform operators.

The law, passed in November 2024, is supported by most Australians according to polling. The government says research links heavy social media use among young teens to bullying, misinformation and harmful body-image content.

Companies that fail to comply with the ban risk penalties of up to A$49.5 million. Lawmakers and tech firms abroad are watching how the rollout unfolds, as Australia’s approach is among the toughest efforts globally to restrict minors’ access to social platforms.

Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!