The digital transformation has had a far-reaching impact on the environments in which children live, learn and interact. While the digital space offers significant opportunities for diverse fields of study, such as education, social participation and development, it also remains a space where children are exposed to an ever-increasing range of risks, including sexual abuse, data misuse and algorithmic profiling. The study examines children’s rights on online platforms, focusing on the intersection between digital risks, regulatory frameworks and protection mechanisms. The study analyses the adequacy of existing legal and policy responses at both international and comparative levels, with particular attention to instruments such as the UN CRC, the GDPR and the new EU digital governance frameworks. How do digital platforms, artificial intelligence systems and algorithmic decision-making processes affect the realization of children’s rights, in particular the rights to privacy, protection and access to safe digital participation? By identifying legal gaps, in particular in relation to platform accountability, enforcement mechanisms and cross-border digital governance, it highlights that existing protection systems often lag behind technological developments, resulting in ineffective and inadequate protection of children’s rights and the guarantee of rights through the adoption of appropriate measures to protect rights. The protection of children, as a special category under the law, requires a more holistic and rights-based approach that integrates legal regulation, technological protections and digital literacy education. Current events increasingly emphasize the necessity to strengthen multi-level governance frameworks, increase the transparency of digital platforms, and ensure child-centered regulatory approaches that prioritize the best interests of the child in the digital age.
Table of Contents
1. Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment: Conceptual and Legal Foundations
2. Risks to Children in the Digital Environment
3. Legal and Policy Frameworks for Child Protection in the Digital Environment
4. Comparative Analysis, Emerging Gaps, and Future Protection Mechanisms
Research Objectives and Topics
This research aims to analyze the intersection between digital risks, regulatory frameworks, and protection mechanisms concerning children's rights. It seeks to address how artificial intelligence, algorithmic decision-making, and digital platforms influence children's privacy, safety, and participation, while identifying existing legal gaps and proposing holistic, rights-based governance approaches.
- Impact of digital transformation on children's rights and safety.
- Evaluation of international and comparative legal frameworks like the UN CRC and GDPR.
- Identification of systemic risks including data misuse, algorithmic profiling, and online exploitation.
- Necessity for child-centered digital design and multi-stakeholder governance models.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment: Conceptual and Legal Foundations
The rapid digital transformation of society has significantly reshaped the context in which children’s rights are exercised and protected. The digital environment is no longer a separate sphere but an integral part of children’s everyday lives, influencing their access to education, social interaction, and participation in public life. According to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, children must enjoy their rights both offline and online, and states are obliged to ensure protection in digital environments in line with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Are new rights needed? Embracing the frontier of technology, this research aims to explore key regulatory responses to the challenges posed by the digital age in light of the principle of the best interests of the child and their rights and principles in the online environment, also called digital rights. These rights include, among others, the right to education and access to digital resources, the right to freedom of expression and access to information, as well as the right to privacy and the protection of personal data, which should be rights “unclouded” by digital sovereignty. Such a constantly moving regulatory landscape generates new opportunities to promote human rights in the digital sphere and to reconsider the existing framework on fundamental rights and freedoms.
Summary of Chapters
1. Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment: Conceptual and Legal Foundations: This chapter establishes the theoretical basis for digital rights, examining the shift in children's everyday lives due to technology and the resulting necessity to apply UNCRC principles to the online sphere.
2. Risks to Children in the Digital Environment: This section categorizes the various hazards children encounter online, including sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, data profiling, and algorithmic manipulation, highlighting the systemic nature of these threats.
3. Legal and Policy Frameworks for Child Protection in the Digital Environment: This chapter reviews current international and EU-level regulations, such as the GDPR and the Digital Services Act, assessing their efficacy in protecting minors within evolving digital ecosystems.
4. Comparative Analysis, Emerging Gaps, and Future Protection Mechanisms: This final chapter compares regulatory approaches across different jurisdictions, identifies persistent gaps in enforcement, and proposes proactive, multi-stakeholder solutions for better child protection.
Keywords
Children's rights, digital environment, data protection, GDPR, algorithmic profiling, cyberbullying, online exploitation, digital governance, UNCRC, platform accountability, digital literacy, child-centered design, surveillance capitalism, multi-stakeholder model.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines the status of children's rights in the modern digital age, focusing specifically on the interplay between technological advancement, existing regulatory responses, and the necessity for robust protection mechanisms.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The primary themes include legal protection against digital risks, the role of international conventions like the UNCRC, the impact of platform design on children's safety, and the importance of digital literacy.
What is the central research question?
The research explores how digital platforms and AI affect the realization of children's rights and whether current legal frameworks are sufficient to address the emerging harms in a globalized digital environment.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a comparative analytical approach, examining existing legal and policy instruments across various jurisdictions, supplemented by an review of international literature and reports on child digital safety.
What subjects are addressed in the main chapters?
The main sections cover the conceptual foundations of digital rights, a detailed classification of digital risks, an evaluation of current legislative frameworks, and a comparative analysis of policy responses worldwide.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include children's rights, digital governance, GDPR, algorithmic profiling, online safety, platform accountability, and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
How does "surveillance capitalism" affect children?
According to the text, the rise of surveillance capitalism has shifted power dynamics, where children's behavioral data is collected and exploited by platforms without their full awareness, leading to potential manipulation.
Why is a "child-centered" approach in governance recommended?
A child-centered approach is advocated because it prioritizes the best interests of the child directly in the design phase of digital services, moving from reactive legal enforcement to proactive, built-in safety measures.
- Quote paper
- Besar Krasniqi (Author), Valeri Qatani (Author), 2026, Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment. Risks, Regulation, and Protection Mechanisms, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1718783
