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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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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech from behind a wooden podium adorned with the royal coat of arms. The setting features two large British flags in the background and a formal interior with wooden paneling.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Online Harms
  • United Kingdom

5Rights and Children’s Coalition urge PM to protect online safety in UK-US trade talks

More than 20 child safety organisations and bereaved families urge UK PM to protect the Online Safety Act amid fears it could be weakened in UK–US trade negotiations.
A conference room. On two projector screens is a video testimony from a young Ghanaian person. Sitting on tables in the foreground, facing away from the camera and looking towards the screen is three African children.
  • News
  • AI
  • Child Rights
  • Africa

5Rights and partners organise first Children’s Global AI Summit on Africa

Children from across the continent assembled for the Children’s Global AI Summit in Kigali, Rwanda convened by 5Rights and partners.
  • Press Release
  • AI
  • Global

Reclaiming AI for the next generation: 5Rights unveils Children & AI Design Code 

5Rights unveils the Children & AI Design Code, a bold framework ensuring AI prioritises children’s rights, safety, and wellbeing in design and deployment.
A mixed raced teen boy has back turned to the camera, with his left hand raised in the area. He is wearing a light mint green polo. He appears to be in a learning environment, like a school. In between the camera and the room is a glass pane that has a speech mark icon in a light gray colour, with "AI" in the middle.
  • News
  • AI
  • European Union

AI systems that exploit the vulnerabilities of children are now illegal in the EU

Article 5 of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act is a true milestone, but more is required to protect children’s rights and needs by design and default.
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A wider shot showing a child in a yellow-and-white striped shirt and light blue jeans sitting outdoors, intently looking at and using a smartphone with both hands.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • United Kingdom

UK Government sets unambiguous direction for a safer online world 

5Rights welcomes the UK Government’s final Statement of Strategic Priorities, confirming safety by design as a cornerstone of tech regulation. However, more must be done to deliver on the Online Safety Act’s promises.
Baroness Beeban Kidron stands on a stage at the UN STI Forum, holding a microphone while addressing the audience. She wears a brown cardigan and long skirt. This is a wide shot of the picture shown above.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • United Nations

“A different digital settlement for children” – implementation must follow Global Digital Compact commitments 

From the floor of the UN STI Forum, Baroness Beeban Kidron urged world leaders to build on the Global Digital Compact and renew their commitment to a digital future that works for children.
A siloheutte of a hand holding a smartphone horizontally in the foreground. It displays red text, 'Ofcom'. In the background, an out-of-focus monitor displays the Ofcom webiste.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Online Harms
  • United Kingdom

UK’s regulator Ofcom launches the country’s first Children’s Online Safety Code

The launch of the first Code marks a significant development in creating a safe digital environment for children, but, it’s not job done.
A vivid yellow sign from Elections Canada, displaying a maple leaf and bold black writing, signals a Canadian election voting site.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Canada

Canadian elections: a defining moment to hold tech accountable for children’s rights 

Next Monday, Canadians will be heading to the polling station, setting the course for the future of Canadian children’s rights in the digital world.
Wide shot of the Global Age Assurance Standard Summit 2025 stage, showing Marie-Ève Nadeau presenting alongside a large screen displaying the 5Rights Foundation’s session title: “Beyond the Silver Bullet: Age Assurance and a Digital World that Respects Children’s Rights.”
  • News
  • Age-Assurance
  • Global

What happens once you know it’s a child? Rethinking age assurance for a rights-respecting digital world

Age assurance should recognise and empower children online, not exclude them. Done right, it can be a building block to create safe, age-appropriate digital spaces, grounded in children’s rights.
A wider shot of the same teenage girl seated comfortably on a couch at home. She is wearing a rust-orange sweatshirt, light blue ripped jeans, and white over-ear headphones, focused on her laptop. A yellow knitted blanket and blue wall add to the cozy setting. This image is a fuller version of the close-up shown above on the same page.
  • News
  • Online Harms
  • United Kingdom

UK’s online safety regulator launches first investigation under Online Safety Act 

Ofcom begins first Online Safety Act investigation into suicide forum. 5Rights urges firm action to protect children and calls for strong enforcement against harmful online services.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech from behind a wooden podium adorned with the royal coat of arms. The setting features two large British flags in the background and a formal interior with wooden paneling.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Online Harms
  • United Kingdom

5Rights and Children’s Coalition urge PM to protect online safety in UK-US trade talks

More than 20 child safety organisations and bereaved families urge UK PM to protect the Online Safety Act amid fears it could be weakened in UK–US trade negotiations.
A conference room. On two projector screens is a video testimony from a young Ghanaian person. Sitting on tables in the foreground, facing away from the camera and looking towards the screen is three African children.
  • News
  • AI
  • Child Rights
  • Africa

5Rights and partners organise first Children’s Global AI Summit on Africa

Children from across the continent assembled for the Children’s Global AI Summit in Kigali, Rwanda convened by 5Rights and partners.
A young Asian boy on a laptop sat on a desk outside (you can see large foliage in the background that suggests this is in Southeast Asia). The camera is positioned so you can see the face of the boy looking at the laptop as he types. He looks inquisitive.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Asia

Indonesia becomes first Global South country to adopt binding regulation for age-appropriate design

Indonesia passes Southeast Asia’s first binding regulation to protect children online, banning profiling and strengthening data protections.
UNCRC turns 35: AI moves fast, but it must not break children
  • News
  • AI
  • United Nations

UNCRC turns 35: AI moves fast, but it must not break children

AI is shaping children’s lives, but is it safe? The Children & AI Design Code sets standards to ensure AI supports, not exploits, the next generation.
A classroom setting with a group of children engaging with digital technology. Two girls sit at a table in the foreground; one in a plaid shirt is holding a smartphone with a red cover, while the other in a white jacket is focused on her own smartphone. The table has school supplies, including a notebook and markers. In the background, three boys are sitting on a desk, interacting with tablets and smartphones. The scene is well-lit, with natural light streaming through large windows.
  • News
  • Online Harms
  • Services
  • United Kingdom

UK Online Safety Act takes effect as tech industry keeps shifting blame to parents 

As the Illegal Harms Code of Practice enters into force, 5Rights urges Ofcom to begin robust enforcement and hold tech firms accountable.
Two women smiling as one hands another an egg-shaped clear glass with a royal blue squared-glass base award. They are visibly on a stage with a Rights Con 25 banner across the top of the stage.
  • News
  • Child Rights
  • Data Protection
  • Global

5Rights awarded inaugural Privacy and Human Rights Award

Today at RightsCon in Taipei, 5Rights has been recognised for its remarkable leadership on the intersection of privacy, data protection and children’s rights.