Content Policy Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

France and WHO call for stronger safeguards for children online

French President Emmanuel Macron and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have called for stronger governance of digital environments to protect children’s health and well-being.

In a joint statement, they argued that social media, gaming platforms, AI and other digital services are increasingly shaping children’s physical, mental and social development.

The authors said digital technologies can support education, healthcare access, creativity and social inclusion, especially for children in remote or disadvantaged communities. However, they argued that these benefits depend on how digital services are designed, regulated and governed.

The statement warns that excessive or poorly governed digital exposure can be linked to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, sedentary behaviour, online exploitation, harmful content and misinformation amplified by recommendation systems.

Macron and Tedros also describe generative AI as a force multiplier for both opportunity and risk. They said AI could support education, accessibility and healthcare, but warned that its long-term effects on children’s emotional development, relationships and well-being remain uncertain.

The authors pointed to growing international momentum behind child online safety measures, including age restrictions, stronger age assurance and safety-by-design standards.

They called on governments, technology companies, researchers, educators and civil society to build healthier digital ecosystems through regulation, transparency, independent research and stronger safeguards for children.

Why does it matter?

The intervention places child online safety within the language of public health. That broadens the debate beyond content moderation and screen-time advice to include platform design, recommendation systems, business models, AI deployment and digital governance. It also reflects growing international pressure for age-appropriate design, stronger age assurance and safety-by-design rules, while leaving open difficult questions about privacy, enforcement and children’s access to beneficial digital services.

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UK ATOC says social media ban is not enough

The UK Alliance Tackling Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse has welcomed the UK government’s plan to ban social media use by children under 16, while warning that the measure alone will not stop online child sexual abuse.

The alliance said age restrictions on mainstream social media platforms could reduce some risks. Still, children may move to less regulated digital spaces, including encrypted messaging services, gaming platforms and other online environments where grooming, sexual extortion and abuse can continue.

UK ATOC called for a broader, system-wide response focused on prevention, stronger platform accountability and safer-by-design digital services. It said governments, regulators, technology companies and online service providers share responsibility for reducing opportunities for abuse before harm occurs.

The alliance proposed a package of technical, legislative and regulatory measures. These include stronger safeguards in end-to-end encrypted environments, robust age-assurance systems, mandatory safer-by-design principles, stronger enforcement under the Online Safety Act and clearer regulation of AI chatbots and companion services.

It also called for device-level nudity detection, upload prevention for known child sexual abuse material and measures to address livestreamed abuse, grooming and sexual extortion.

UK ATOC welcomed the government’s plan to introduce nudity-detection tools on children’s devices, describing it as an important additional safeguard.

The statement reflects a wider concern that age bans may reduce children’s exposure to some mainstream platforms, but cannot replace a comprehensive child-safety framework across the broader digital ecosystem.

Why does it matter?

The UK debate shows the limits of age-based social media bans as a child-safety tool. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse can move across platforms, devices, encrypted services, gaming environments and AI-enabled systems. UK ATOC’s response therefore shifts the focus from access restrictions alone towards prevention, safer design, platform duties and technical safeguards that address how abuse actually happens across digital services.

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EU approves simplified AI rules under Omnibus VII

The Council of the European Union has given its final approval to a regulation that simplifies parts of the EU’s AI framework as part of the broader ‘Omnibus VII’ package to reduce regulatory complexity.

The updated rules revise the implementation timeline for high-risk AI systems, postponing full application until December 2027 for standalone systems and August 2028 for AI systems integrated into regulated products. The regulation also strengthens safeguards by explicitly prohibiting AI-generated non-consensual sexual content, including manipulated intimate imagery and AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

Additional changes aim to reduce administrative burdens and improve legal clarity. Deadlines for establishing AI regulatory sandboxes have been extended to August 2027, transparency obligations for AI-generated content have been streamlined, and the regulation clarifies the division of responsibilities between EU and national authorities while reducing overlap with sector-specific legislation.

The framework also clarifies the division of responsibilities between EU and national authorities and introduces mechanisms to avoid overlap with sector-specific legislation.

EU officials said the reforms will improve legal certainty, support innovation and promote more consistent implementation across member states while preserving safeguards for fundamental rights in the development and deployment of AI systems.

Why does it matter?

The reforms illustrate the EU’s effort to move from adopting AI legislation to making it easier to implement in practice. By extending compliance deadlines, reducing administrative complexity and clarifying supervisory responsibilities, the Union aims to encourage AI innovation without weakening protections for fundamental rights.

The package also reflects a more pragmatic phase of EU AI governance. Rather than rewriting the AI Act, policymakers are refining its implementation to improve legal certainty for developers and users while maintaining strict rules for high-risk and harmful AI applications.

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EU calls for stronger action against cyber violence targeting girls

The Council of the European Union has adopted conclusions calling for stronger action to protect girls and young women from cyber violence, urging member states and the European Commission to reinforce prevention, enforcement, and victim support.

Findings from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) show that girls and young women are disproportionately affected by cyber violence, including online harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and sexist hate speech. Interviews with teenagers across the EU also suggest many believe existing prevention efforts are inadequate.

The Council called for improved access to mental health services, legal assistance and educational programmes covering digital consent, online safety and gender-responsive digital literacy. It also recommended providing parents and educators with practical guidance and training to help identify and respond to online abuse.

The Council also stressed the need for stronger enforcement of existing legislation, including the Digital Services Act and AI Act, while urging online platforms to take greater responsibility for user safety. It further called for increased investment in law enforcement resources, cross-border cooperation and research into the causes and impact of cyber violence.

Why does it matter?

The Council’s conclusions recognise cyber violence as both an online safety challenge and a barrier to gender equality and digital inclusion. By combining prevention, victim support, stronger enforcement and platform accountability, the EU is signalling that tackling online abuse requires coordinated action across governments, technology companies and civil society.

The recommendations also reinforce the EU’s broader digital governance agenda. Linking cyber violence to legislation such as the Digital Services Act and AI Act demonstrates how existing regulatory frameworks are increasingly being used to address online harms alongside technological innovation.

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UK CMA consults on Apple App Store steering rules

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened a consultation on a proposed conduct requirement that would allow app developers to steer users outside Apple’s App Store to complete digital purchases.

The proposal applies to Apple’s Mobile Platform, which the CMA designated as having Strategic Market Status in October 2025. The consultation is part of the UK’s digital markets competition regime and closes on 28 July 2026.

The CMA said Apple’s App Store is a key gateway for developers distributing native apps in the UK. Its proposal focuses on apps that sell digital goods and services, where developers are generally restricted from directing users to alternative offers or purchases outside Apple’s in-app payment system.

Under the proposed steering conduct requirement, Apple would have to allow developers to communicate with UK users and include redirection mechanisms, such as links or buttons, that lead to external websites for purchases.

Apple could still impose restrictions where they are strictly necessary and objectively justified, including to address malware, fraud, scams, unlawful content or content harmful to children.

The proposal would also regulate how external purchasing options are presented. Apple could use a single interstitial screen to inform users that they are leaving its in-app purchase system, but the screen would need to use neutral language and must not discourage users from completing transactions elsewhere.

The CMA is also proposing that any fee Apple charges on steered transactions must be fair and reasonable. It would also prohibit Apple from discriminating against developers that use redirection mechanisms, including through app review, search ranking, platform functionality or access to interoperability features.

The CMA said effective steering could give developers more control over pricing, billing, refunds and customer support, while giving users more choice and potentially lower prices.

Why does it matter?

The consultation shows the UK’s digital markets regime moving from platform designation to targeted behavioural rules. If adopted, the requirement could weaken Apple’s control over in-app transactions for digital goods and services in the UK and give developers more room to offer alternative payment channels. It also tests how the CMA will balance competition, consumer choice, security, privacy and platform investment under the new Strategic Market Status framework.

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Australia doubles penalties and expands eSafety powers under social media age law

The Australian Government has introduced legislation to strengthen enforcement of its minimum age law for social media platforms, expanding the powers of the eSafety Commissioner and significantly increasing penalties for non-compliance.

The reforms are intended to strengthen oversight of platforms operating in Australia that fail to prevent users under the age of 16 from accessing their services.

Under the proposed legislation, the eSafety Commissioner would receive enhanced information-gathering powers, including the authority to compel platforms and relevant third parties, such as age assurance providers and app stores, to provide documents and evidence demonstrating compliance.

The reforms would also substantially increase penalties for failing to comply with information requests and for systemic breaches of the legislation.

The government said millions of accounts belonging to users under 16 have already been removed, deactivated or restricted since the law entered into force.

However, the government argues that some major platforms continue to do only the minimum required, prompting the need for stronger enforcement powers and greater regulatory accountability.

Why does it matter?

The reforms mark a shift from establishing online child safety rules to enforcing them more aggressively. By expanding the eSafety Commissioner’s investigative powers and increasing penalties, Australia is signalling that platforms will face greater accountability if they fail to implement effective age assurance measures.

The legislation also reinforces Australia’s position as one of the most active jurisdictions in regulating children’s online safety. Its approach could influence other countries considering stronger enforcement mechanisms for age verification, platform responsibility and the protection of minors in digital environments.

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KIDZONET joins IWF to strengthen child online safety

KIDZONET has joined the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), strengthening its efforts to protect children online through network-level safeguards.

The company provides child online safety services to telecommunications operators, internet service providers, governments and schools, helping them create safer digital environments without requiring users to install additional software or configure applications.

Through its membership, KIDZONET will integrate the IWF URL List and Non-Photographic Image (NPI) URL List, enabling its partners to identify and block confirmed webpages containing child sexual abuse material more quickly and accurately.

The collaboration reflects a broader move towards embedding child protection directly into internet infrastructure rather than relying solely on platform-level moderation.

By combining KIDZONET’s network-level protection with IWF’s specialist intelligence, the partnership aims to reduce access to criminal content, disrupt its distribution and strengthen protections for children across the digital ecosystem.

Why does it matter?

The partnership highlights a growing shift towards infrastructure-based approaches to online child protection. By integrating verified intelligence directly into telecommunications and internet networks, organisations can prevent access to child sexual abuse material before users encounter it, complementing platform-level moderation and law enforcement efforts.

It also demonstrates the importance of collaboration between specialist organisations and network providers. Combining trusted threat intelligence with network-level filtering can improve the speed and consistency of blocking illegal content while strengthening the broader digital ecosystem’s ability to combat online child sexual exploitation.

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Indonesia reports 4.7 million under-16 accounts deactivated

TikTok and YouTube have deactivated about 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 in Indonesia, according to the country’s Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid.

TikTok deactivated around 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube removed about 600,000. The move follows a regulation introduced in March requiring platforms deemed high risk to deactivate accounts held by users under 16.

The rule applies to services including TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram and Roblox. Hafid said the government expects other platforms to follow the same approach.

Indonesia says the measures are intended to reduce children’s exposure to online harms, including cyberbullying, harmful content and internet addiction. Hafid said the government is not only trying to delay children’s access to social media, but also to change platform behaviour.

The ministry is reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by digital platforms and has said there is no room for compromise on compliance.

Indonesia’s approach reflects a wider global shift towards stricter rules on children’s access to social media and high-risk online services. Australia’s under-16 social media ban took effect in December 2025, while other governments are considering stronger restrictions and age-assurance requirements.

Why does it matter?

Indonesia’s enforcement shows how child online safety regulation is moving from policy debate to platform-level action. Deactivating millions of accounts creates immediate compliance pressure on major services and raises wider questions about age assurance, children’s rights, privacy and access to online spaces. The case also shows that governments are increasingly asking platforms not only to remove underage users, but to redesign how they manage risks for minors.

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Singapore launches Online Safety Commission for online harms

Singapore’s Online Safety Commission has begun operations, giving victims of online harms a dedicated channel to seek faster support and redress.

The commission was established to support the office of the Commissioner of Online Safety under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025. Specified provisions on statutory torts under the Act also came into effect on 29 June 2026.

In its first phase, the commission will support victims affected by five categories of online harm: online harassment, including online sexual harassment, doxxing, online stalking, intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse.

Victims of online harassment and online stalking are generally expected to report harmful content to the relevant platform first. If the platform fails to respond promptly or provides an inadequate response within 24 hours, the platform may be reported to the commission. More serious harms, including doxxing and image-based abuse, can be reported directly.

Where there is reason to suspect that online harm has occurred, the Commissioner may issue directions to the person who posted the content, the administrator of the online space or the platform hosting it. These directions may require access to harmful content to be disabled or an account to be restricted. Non-compliance is a criminal offence.

Singapore is also introducing court-based remedies through statutory torts. Victims may bring civil claims against communicators, administrators, or platforms that fail to meet the duties set out in the law. For intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, courts must award at least $5,000 for each image or recording if the claim succeeds.

The commission will also work with community partners that can provide counselling and practical support to victims and families.

Why does it matter?

Singapore’s Online Safety Commission provides victims of online harms with a dedicated institutional route for faster relief, rather than leaving them to rely solely on platform complaint systems or lengthy court processes. The model combines administrative directions, platform duties, community support and civil remedies. It is especially relevant for image-based abuse, doxxing and child safety, where rapid content restriction and victim support can be critical.

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IWF urges EU to restore legal basis for voluntary CSAM detection

The Internet Watch Foundation has urged the EU policymakers to adopt a permanent legal framework allowing technology companies to voluntarily detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material online.

The organisation said Europe cannot keep relying on children to protect themselves from online predators, warning that awareness campaigns and digital literacy measures cannot replace platform responsibility, technical safeguards and proactive detection tools.

The IWF said the EU’s failure to agree on a long-term Child Sexual Abuse Regulation has created legal uncertainty after the expiry of the temporary framework that previously allowed online services to use voluntary detection measures.

According to the organisation, child sexual abuse increasingly begins online through grooming, coercion, sextortion and blackmail. The IWF said that more than a quarter of the 500,000 unique child sexual abuse images and videos it identified in 2025 were self-generated after children were manipulated into creating explicit material.

The group argues that voluntary detection should become a minimum standard across the EU, supported by legal safeguards that protect privacy and prevent misuse.

The debate remains one of the EU’s most contested digital policy issues. Child-safety organisations warn that legal uncertainty could reduce the detection of abuse, while privacy advocates have raised concerns about surveillance, false positives and the scanning of private communications.

The IWF said policymakers should not treat child protection and privacy as a binary choice, but should create a framework that allows technology companies to detect abuse while maintaining appropriate safeguards.

Why does it matter?

The debate goes to the heart of EU online safety policy: how to protect children from grooming, sextortion and the circulation of abuse material while preserving privacy and communications rights. The IWF’s intervention highlights the child-protection argument for legal certainty around voluntary detection tools. At the same time, the controversy shows why any permanent framework will need strong safeguards, transparency and limits on how detection technologies are used.

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