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Keep up to date with the latest development on data protection, children’s rights in the digital environment and more with our news articles and press releases.


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A wider shot showing two young people in the background, dancing in front of a smartphone that is set up in a ring light stand. The phone screen shows the TikTok logo, and the scene suggests that they are filming a TikTok video. The blue sofa and a potted plant are visible in the background. This is the full version of the close-up shown above.

TikTok knows it is harming children

Internal TikTok documents reveal the company is promoting addictive design and targeting children, in full consciousness of the harms of its product

A group of people standing and sitting in front of large posters with bold text that reads "ATTENTION: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT" on a red background. The posters feature partially obscured images of children's faces, with the text overlaid on them. The group is at a conference in Toronto titled “Attention: The Kids Are All Right”, with some standing in a row while others sit, facing toward the camera. The setting suggests a formal or professional gathering, with a spotlight on a few attendees and the posters in the background dominating the space.

Child online safety at the centre of discussions in Canada 

5Rights addressed Canada’s legislative efforts on children’s digital safety at a Toronto conference, emphasising global best practices and the importance of privacy and safety by design.

A woman on the left and a man in the middle. Both are sat on wooden chairs. They are positioned underneath a wooden stable. You can the trees and evening light towards the back of the stable. To the right of the man is an empty chair, used in this campaign to signify the child 'lost' to social media.

Supporting families globally: our work with The Parents’ Network

5Rights is partnering with Archewell’s Parents’ Network to work with families of children severely impacted by online harms to call for online spaces to be designed with the needs and rights of children in mind.

A young boy wearing headphones lying on a bed holding his tablet device.

UK Children’s Safety Code must hold tech companies to account

Ofcom draft Children’s Safety Code’s lack of consideration for safety by design means that, without a serious review, it will fail to protect children.

Two children are laying down on the floor staring at their respective devices.

Children’s Coalition sets the bar for Ofcom’s Safety Code

The Children’s Coalition, led by 5Rights, sets requirements for Ofcom’s Code of Practice to ensure the Online Safety Act effectively protects children online.

A young person is sitting indoors at a desk and holding a smartphone in their right hand. They appear to be engaged in a video call, as they are looking at the phone's screen and raising their left hand, possibly waving. The person is wearing an orange shirt and has a dark smartwatch on their left wrist. In the background, there is a shelf with potted plants and some hanging clothing, which is slightly out of focus, suggesting the photo was taken in a home or casual setting.

Ofcom must rethink Online Safety Act illegal harms Code of Practice

While acknowledging the scale of the task of implementing the Online Safety Act, 5Rights regrets that Ofcom’s proposal falls short of what is needed to deliver on the promises of the Act.

A young girl standing against a plain wall, bathed in soft purple and blue lighting. She is wearing a loose white shirt over a white top, paired with dark-coloured pants or a skirt. The girl is looking down intently at a smartphone that she is holding with both hands. The light from the phone softly illuminates her face.

5Rights welcomes Data Bill changes on access to data for child inquests

Following work by 5Rights and Baroness Kidron, UK law now allows coroners to access data from tech companies in cases involving the death of a child, enhancing transparency and supporting bereaved families.

This morning (15 December) the families wrote to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan MP, and the Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk MP, to express their dismay at these changes: “We are devastated to find out… that despite personal promises made to us in private meetings and assurances made at the despatch box to Baroness Kidron, that the Government has – after the fact – placed limits on the agreed route. This is a betrayal. “Our children died in different ways and in different circumstances relating to the digital world. The tragedy for each of us remains and we all share the need to understand more about their deaths, however they died.” 5Rights founder and Chair, Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, who laid the original amendments to the Online Safety Act which allowed for these provisions, said: “I join the Bereaved Families for Online Safety in their dismay that the Government has not kept to their word. We were promised that data that was relevant to the death of a child would be in scope. Narrowing it to those who take their own life misunderstands the complexity of the cases that have come forward, and breaks commitments made at the despatch boxes in both Houses… they [government] have a moral duty to put this right and it is a sad day for Parliament if promises made in September from the despatch box are undermined by December.” Officially passed in October, the Online Safety Act (OSA) introduced a humane route for parents and coroners to access data from tech companies in the event a child has died and there is reasonable suspicion that the information is relevant to their death. However, the Government recently tabled amendments to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill which would water-down this provision to only include cases where a coroner suspects a child has taken their own life. This narrows the original intention of this measure and would leave cases where a child has been murdered, for example, out of scope. The amendment is contrary to personal promises made to the families and assurances given to parliamentarians throughout passage of the OSA. The original provisions would have given the coroner freedom to consider how the data might help their investigations in all cases. The letter was signed by the group which includes, Lisa Kenevan, mother of Isaac Kenevan; Lorin LaFave, mother of Breck Bednar; Amanda and Stuart Stephens, parents of Olly Stephens; Hollie Dance, mother of Archie Battersbee; Ian Russell, father of Molly Russell; Ruth Moss, mother of Sophie Parkinson; Liam Walsh, father of Maia Walsh; and Mariano Janin, father of Mia Janin. The families, who came together following a shared tragedy of having lost children due to exposure to online harms, campaigned heavily for the Online Safety Act to include these measures following their own difficulties accessing information.

5Rights Supports Bereaved Families in Online Safety Act Appeal

5Rights Foundation stands with bereaved families, urging the government to uphold promises made during the Online Safety Act, as recent amendments threaten to narrow its protective scope.

A frame from Dove’s campaign film, titled The Cost of Beauty. This image shows a tender moment between a mother and a daughter sitting close together. The woman on the left has curly dark hair and is wearing a light-coloured button-up shirt with a brown belt. She is looking at the other woman with a caring and supportive expression. The woman on the right has long braids, is wearing hoop earrings, and a green patterned off-shoulder top. She is smiling gently with her eyes closed, suggesting a sense of comfort or relief. The text overlay on the image reads, "Sarah - In recovery from an eating disorder".

UK’s child online safety laws explored in new 5Rights report

5Rights Foundation releases a detailed legal analysis as part of a campaign with Dove on how the Online Safety Act builds on the UK’s regulatory ecosystem for children online.

Three young girls sitting at desks in a classroom, each engaged with their smartphones. The girl on the left has dark braided hair and is wearing a light blue shirt over a darker dress. The girl in the middle has long dark hair, is wearing a red and black plaid shirt. The girl on the right, with light brown hair, is wearing a white shirt with red floral prints and is blurred in the foreground.

Lessons from the UK’s Design Code: children’s privacy and expression

5Rights Trustee, Liz Denham, and Steve Wood, Founder of PrivacyX, consider how the UK’s Age-Appropriate Design Code navigates the balance between children’s privacy perspectives and freedom of expression.

A view of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France. The building features a modern design with a curved, glass facade that reflects the sky. In front of the building, a row of flagpoles displays the flags of various European Union Member States, as well as the EU flag itself, which is prominently featured in the foreground. The flags are fluttering in the wind against a clear blue sky.

European Parliament pushes for safe by design tech

Despite the Parliament’s stated commitment to children’s rights in the digital environment, the revised AI Act falls short of ensuring AI systems in the EU are safe for children, by design and default.

A teenager is lying in bed, holding a smartphone above her face. The room is dark, and the only light comes from the phone's screen, illuminating her face as she intently looks at the device.

Online Safety Act is now law – what does this mean for children?

After seven years, the Online Safety Act has become law, presenting an opportunity to instil systemic change for children. But what will it mean for tech companies, and will this impact children?