IEEE analysis suggests growing global trend toward age-appropriate design
After international progress in 2025, there is growing consensus globally that digital systems must be designed with children’s rights and developmental needs in mind.
A recent analysis from the IEEE Standards Association highlights how momentum is building globally around age-appropriate design – an approach that places responsibility on technology companies to ensure digital services used by children are designed with their varying rights, safety and developmental needs in mind.
Over the past decade, features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and behavioural nudging have been linked to excessive and compulsive use among children. Responsibility is increasingly shifting away from families and toward the platforms that build these systems in the first place.
The Age-Appropriate Design Code, the UK’s first legally mandated code of practice aimed at protecting children’s data, came into force in 2021. The code outlined how children’s rights and developmental needs must shape how digital services are built and operated, a principle that has since spread far beyond the UK.
The year 2025 saw advancements in countries including Brazil, Indonesia and Greece, and 2026 looks set to continue that momentum. In January, China’s Cyberspace Administration announced new measures governing online content that may affect the physical and mental health of minors, which took effect on March 1st. The move reflects the view that children require differentiated protections online.
This work builds on a broader family of standards grounded in principles championed by 5Rights Foundation, including IEEE 2089.1 on age assurance, which seeks to ensure that any use of age-checking measures is privacy-preserving and rights-respecting.
There’s a lot more work to do, but the direction is set. 5Rights looks forward to continuing to shape children’s rights in the digital environment.