Children’s digital poverty affects their capacity to surf the Internet safely. In contrast, digital literacy provides children with advanced digital skills allowing them, inter alia, to preserve their privacy online or assess the reliability of the information found on the Internet. However, digital literacy is not the panacea for all threats children face in the digital world. Parental control and institutional protection from online risks remain critical. States should adopt adequate legislative and administrative measures to prevent, bring to an end and punish those responsible for violations of children’s right to private life online, in primis business enterprises running social platforms targeting minors. In this connection, a child-oriented due diligence mechanism would be a valuable instrument. The prospective Legally Binding Instrument and the EU’s Due Diligence Sustainability Directive provide important rules in this respect. In addition, significant steps can be taken at the domestic level to monitor respect for children’s right to private life and to punish business enterprises responsible for its violation. The Italian Communications Regulatory Authority has indeed proved successful in investigating and punishing social platforms responsible for fueling children’s dangerous behaviours online.
Children’s Digital Poverty and Online Threats: Steps Forward Towards Protecting Children’s Privacy and Promoting Businesses’ Responsibilities
Roberta Greco
2024-01-01
Abstract
Children’s digital poverty affects their capacity to surf the Internet safely. In contrast, digital literacy provides children with advanced digital skills allowing them, inter alia, to preserve their privacy online or assess the reliability of the information found on the Internet. However, digital literacy is not the panacea for all threats children face in the digital world. Parental control and institutional protection from online risks remain critical. States should adopt adequate legislative and administrative measures to prevent, bring to an end and punish those responsible for violations of children’s right to private life online, in primis business enterprises running social platforms targeting minors. In this connection, a child-oriented due diligence mechanism would be a valuable instrument. The prospective Legally Binding Instrument and the EU’s Due Diligence Sustainability Directive provide important rules in this respect. In addition, significant steps can be taken at the domestic level to monitor respect for children’s right to private life and to punish business enterprises responsible for its violation. The Italian Communications Regulatory Authority has indeed proved successful in investigating and punishing social platforms responsible for fueling children’s dangerous behaviours online.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
