About 300 organisations and experts in Argentina have called for a national law to protect children and teenagers online. Their campaign would require platforms to do more to prevent harm and safeguard users’ data.
The initiative brings together groups and specialists in children’s rights, digital rights, education, health and data protection. They have been discussing their proposals with lawmakers since the beginning of the year. La Nación reported that 34 bills concerning regulation of digital environments for minors are already before Congress.
The campaign argues that online risks cannot be reduced to screen time or parental and school monitoring. It says lawmakers should also address platform design and recommendation algorithms that amplify content.
Among the ten principles proposed are early risk prevention, safety by design, secure age checks, limits on commercial profiling of children’s data and transparent algorithms. The campaign also calls for state oversight, effective penalties, digital education and children’s participation in decisions that affect them.
Organisers list online violence, grooming, hate speech, non-consensual sharing, misinformation, early exposure to pornography and gambling, and risks to wellbeing and mental health among the concerns. They say the response should combine regulation and prevention rather than exclude children from digital spaces.
María Capurro Robles of Observacom said children’s rights protections should also apply online. The campaign is backed by civil-society organisations, experts and public agencies.