Session
Organizer 1: Jochen Michels, 🔒Kaspersky
Organizer 2: Anne Mickler, Kaspersky
Organizer 3: Gladys O. Yiadom, Kaspersky
Speaker 1: Melodena Stephens, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Heng Lee, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Elizaveta Belyakova, Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Speaker 4: Elmehdi Erroussafi, Technical Community, African Group
Gladys O. Yiadom, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Anne Mickler, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Jochen Michels, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Theater
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: In the workshop, a diversity of experts will explore the important Internet policy issue of child online protection, focusing on educational measures and awareness raising, regulatory and technical measures. The workshop will combine a panel discussion with a round table. The aim is to share best practices, discuss possibilities for global multistakeholder cooperation and gather feedback. Because of that, great emphasis will be placed on the discussion with participants - onsite and online. In addition, different surveys will be included to further engage participants and obtain feedback to individual questions.
A. Which regulatory measures are appropriate to efficiently protect children in the digital world and how can global norms for this be developed? B. How can cost-effective and high-quality educational measures for online child protection be developed with the participation of all stakeholder groups and implemented on a broad scale? C. How can multistakeholder cooperation in the field of online child protection be increased?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will learn about the challenges of comprehensive protection of children in the digital world and how the various stakeholder groups can contribute to the effective protection of children in the digital world. Best practice examples will be presented and regulatory approaches, educational measures and basic technical measures and options will be discussed. The focus will be on how a multi-stakeholder approach can create progress for the sustainable protection of children.
Description:
Online child protection has become a growing concern among policymakers, industry leaders, academia and civil society organisations. In the era of artificial intelligence, children are increasingly exposed to even-more sophisticated risks. AI-powered tools and content such as deepfakes can easily provide harmful content when prompted. There are a variety of AI chatbots that are specially designed for an “erotic” experience. Governments and international organisations worldwide have initiated legal, regulatory and policy frameworks to address child online protection. As part of the draft law to secure and regulate the digital space in France, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) will most likely be in charge of establishing a reference framework setting out the minimum technical requirements for age verification systems for pornographic sites while the European Union is carrying out consultations on a proposal for a Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material. In Cameroon, the charter on Child Online Protection adopted in 2023 states that ISP‘s need to “set up mechanisms for reporting content or behavior that undermines the dignity and integrity of children.” The following aspects will be discussed and further developed in the workshop: (i) Harmonize regulations against new online threats to children: There is a need for regulatory harmonization to safeguard children online as they face threats in the digital domain that are cross-border in nature. (ii) Promote cyber literacy among children, parents, and educators: Alerting children on new online risks through courses and awareness campaigns is critical. Parents and teachers should also be involved in the learning process. (iii) Promote multistakeholder exchange of expertise and experience: A comprehensive dialogue among all stakeholders should be strongly encouraged with the main objective of promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise in child online protection.
The core problems of protecting children in the digital world are highlighted and recommendations for action for multi-stakeholder cooperation are developed. Best practices are identified as blueprints for future projects and basic principles for regulatory measures and educational projects are developed. The results of the workshop will be summarized in a thesis paper and presented for discussion.
Hybrid Format: The moderators will actively involve the participants in the discussion, in particular through online surveys (1-2 questions) at the beginning and the end of the session. The survey tool can be used both by onsite participants via their smartphones and by online participants. This will generate additional personal involvement and increase interest in the hybrid session. Active participation is possible for both onsite and online participants, as all participants should actively contribute their ideas. Both onsite and online participants will have the same opportunities to participate. Planned structure of the workshop • Introduction by the moderator • Survey with 2 questions • Brief impulse statements by the speakers with their view on the topic • Moderated discussion with the attendees onsite and online • Survey with 2 questions • Wrap up