World Children’s Day is again being celebrated this coming November 20th, a date chosen by the United Nations to commemorate the day in 1959 when the Declaration on the Rights of the Child was adopted. On this occasion, the European Association for Digital Transition, EADT, in collaboration with the European Commission, has organised the event “Digital Rights of Minors Online”. It will take place on November 15th at the headquarters of the Representation of the European Commission in Spain, and can also be followed in streaming.
The event, which will last about four hours, is held under the auspices of the Conference on the future of Europe, a forum that, over the course of a year, has given European citizens and companies a channel to express their positions and recommendations on the major issues that are affecting the future of the Union. Their conclusions will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Conference, and the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission have committed to monitoring it effectively and quickly within the scope of their competences.
The basis for discussion
The EADT shares the growing public concern about the risks and threats to minors from certain practices of the digital platforms. In recent weeks, it has been made public, for example, that Facebook was aware of the dangers to the psychological stability of adolescents from their exposure to Instagram, and did nothing about it. But the problems go far beyond that, and are not limited to the lack of ethics of a specific company.
The marketing of minor’s data, proliferation of cyberbullying, a barrage of advertising for products not always appropriate for children, etc. The event will address some of these dangers and how to channel them, and will feature representatives from the public, academic and social spheres. Additionally, its conclusions will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Conference for the Future of Europe. Would you like to attend as part of the audience? You can sign up here.
