Children’s rights in the Digital Services Act – Joint letter

5Rights Foundation, alongside a coalition of over 2,000 children’s rights organisations, parents, and mental health professionals, has sent a joint letter to Members of the European Parliament, Council of Ministers of the EU, and the European Commission. The letter urges EU negotiators to prioritise children’s rights in the final stages of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark regulation aiming to create a safer digital space for all users.

The letter emphasises the need for specific provisions that ensure children’s privacy, safety, and security by design, especially as many digital platforms are accessed by young users. The coalition highlights concerns that the current draft of the DSA could fail to protect children adequately if it does not include stronger requirements for service providers. They advocate for the inclusion of a citation of UN General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment and call for services likely to be accessed by children to adopt high standards of safety, privacy, and security.

This joint effort is a crucial step in advocating for children’s rights in the digital age and ensuring that European regulations set a global standard for child protection online.