Perspectives

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said for ensuring their online safety. When it comes to youth online safety, the said village includes youth themselves, tech companies both big and small, regulators, parents and guardians, and other advocates for youth rights, all working together to create a safer online environment. At the heart of this issue are multiple concerns, from protecting children from harmful content to ensuring age-appropriate experiences and safeguarding their personal data.

The complexity of these issues is compounded by the lack of a global approach to youth online safety. Different countries are grappling with conflicting priorities and legal frameworks, making it difficult to create cohesive solutions, and leading to a highly fragmented policy landscape.

Key regions shaping online safety

The online safety landscape is, for the most part, shaped by a small subset of key markets – the U.S., European Union and EU Member States at their national level, and UK. Each market comes with its own challenge, from legal tensions or loopholes to the multitude of engaged actors within and outside of government bodies.

The U.S., for example, is a patchwork of state-level legislation which ends up in court as soon as it’s signed into law, if not before. On age verification, for example, we’ve seen this happen in Utah, Texas, Florida, and beyond. In fact, this autumn will see a landmark Supreme Court case on the Texas law, HB 1181, which requires websites publishing “sexual material harmful to minors” above a certain threshold to verify that users accessing this content are over the age of 18. In the meantime, all eyes are on the Kids Online Safety Act in Congress. Then of course we have the election coming up which will bring a whole new set of actors and respective priorities into office at all levels of government.

The European Union is just revving back up post-elections and is expected to increase its focus on youth online safety legislation as a big priority under the new EU legislative mandate. At the EU level, the Digital Services Act already covers some online safety aspects, and another key proposal to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) is also currently in the legislative pipeline, among others. Additional to this, some EU Members States are seizing the importance of youth online safety and their online/offline mental well-being at their national level. France, for example, is exploring ways to restrict youth screentime with a potential digital majority, or age verification requirement, while some French schools are experimenting with mobile phone bans during classes. Germany isn’t far behind – the Federal Drug Commissioner in September called for an age limit of 12 for TikTok, which comes on the heels of the Child Safety Commissioner calling for further youth online safety measures and this summer’s government tender for age verification systems, awarded to the Fraunhofer Institute. France and Germany are only two examples of EU Members States’ will to act when it comes to youth online safety amongst others notably Spain.

The UK, for its part, is making progress on the implementation of its Online Safety Act, with consultations continuing into 2025 before the official Codes and Guidance are set to come into force, subject to parliamentary approval. With the government having already made changes to the priority offences introduced under the Act, and amid significant pressure from third parties in various directions, online safety will continue to be top of mind for legislators and regulators alike, and navigating these overlapping regimes will remain a key challenge for online platforms both large and small.

The cultural and legal frameworks in all of these countries differ dramatically, and this lack of standardization only adds to the complexity. Differing cultural attitudes towards youth independence, online freedoms, and freedom of speech further muddy the waters. In some regions around the world, youth are seen as needing strong protection from digital harm, while others emphasize personal responsibility and independence. Without global cooperation or even regional coordination, the patchwork of regulations creates vulnerabilities, making it difficult to establish a cohesive strategy that prioritizes youth safety across borders.

An issue with global complexity

Another key issue is the lack of global alignment in defining who qualifies as “youth” and what online safety should entail. Legislators around the world are grappling with how to ensure age-appropriate experiences while safeguarding privacy. For example, Australia has been punching above its weight when it comes to digital rulemaking, the most recent example being Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s call for a mandatory age limit, which follows after Victoria and South Australia already introduced a social media ban for under-14s. In South Korea, the rise of deepfake technology has created a new wave of concerns, with a particular impact on youth. In fact, some experts cite the country as one of the main hotspots for deepfake pornographic content worldwide. India has also been stepping up to call for new youth online safety measures. India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is expected to share a new recommendation in child safety to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

What does this mean?

Online service providers are going through a paradigm shift. More is known today about the impact of online platforms on youth, and governments are keen to create guardrails to address stakeholder  concerns, opening a slew of opportunities, but also potential costs, for online platforms and service providers.

This blog is part of a series where we’ll be exploring the fragmented global youth online safety landscape. In upcoming pieces, we’ll explore the specific challenges and regulatory developments in the U.S., EU, and UK, where differing approaches to age verification, privacy, and online safety are constantly evolving. Deep dive with us on these critical discussions to better understand how we can collectively create a safer digital environment for young people across the globe!