Protecting Children’s Rights in the European Union Digital Space and Beyond

Author: Ana MC Budeanu

June 3, 2026

HRRC applauds the European Union’s and G7 efforts to establish strong protections for children in the digital space, especially considering child sexual abuse material. Further, we call for greater support for these protective measures to become the norm in safeguarding children and ensuring respect for their rights.

Can children be protected in the digital space? [Photo credit: Robert Collins via Unsplash]

The latest changes to the European Union (EU) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act introduce prohibitions on the AI practice of generating or manipulating child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These modifications were agreed upon by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission on May 27 and will enter into application on December 2.

The negotiators from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Commission have agreed upon defining a safer and more secure digital space for children and teenagers while maintaining fundamental freedoms and rights, such as the right to privacy.

While the EU has very strong digital protections for children, the negotiators have adopted seven Common Principles, named the G7 Minors Accord, on May 29, a political act that describes their clear commitment to the protection of privacy and fundamental rights online. The principles call for the implementation of effective risk management, assessment, and mitigation measures; robust, reliable, and privacy-preserving age assurance solutions; and a high level of privacy and safety for minors’ accounts. The principles continue with strong measures to prevent the generation, creation, and distribution of CSAM; access to simple, effective, and interoperable tools for parents and guardians to supervise minors; comprehensive digital literacy programs; and cooperation between digital services and researchers to enable data sharing with the purpose of protecting minors online.

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Glossary

• Artificial Intelligence - a type of computer technology concerned with making machines work in an intelligent way, similar to the way that the human mind works. The abbreviation AI is also used.

• Assurance - the state of being assured: such as something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence

• Council of Europe - an association of European states, established in 1949 to promote unity between its members, defend human rights, and increase social and economic progress

• Digital Literacy - the ability to use digital technology and resources (such as computers, online material, etc.) to find, evaluate, use, and communicate information effectively and responsibly while taking appropriate care to avoid technical and personal vulnerabilities

• Digital Space - the realm of electronic communication.

• European Commission - the executive body of the European Union, formed in 1967, which initiates action in the EU and mediates between member governments.

• European Parliament - the assembly of the European Union in Strasbourg. It consists of 626 directly elected members, and its role is largely advisory

• European Union - an organization of European countries which have joint policies on matters such as trade, agriculture, and finance.

• G7 - Group of the seven leading industrial nations, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and the US, whose heads of government and finance ministers meet regularly to coordinate economic policy.Seven

• Fundamental right - a right that is considered by a court (as the U.S. Supreme Court) to be explicitly or implicitly expressed in a constitution (as the U.S. Constitution)

• Interoperable - of or relating to the ability to share data between different computer systems, especially on different machines

• Literacy - the ability to read and write.

• Mitigation - a reduction in the unpleasantness, seriousness, or painfulness of something

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References

1. https://www.insideglobaltech.com/2026/05/28/eu-ai-act-update-timeline-relief-targeted-simplification-and-new-prohibitions/#:~:text=Among%20the%20most%20visible%20changes,sexual%20abuse%20material%20(CSAM) 

2. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-welcomes-g7-agreement-common-principles-protecting-minors-online#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20the,to%20online%20safety%20for%20children