G7, Kenya, and partners call for safer digital spaces for minors

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G7 leaders and partner countries, including Kenya, Brazil, Egypt, India, and South Korea, have called for stronger protections for children and youth online, urging governments and technology companies to make digital platforms safer, more secure, and age-appropriate.

In a joint declaration adopted on Tuesday, the leaders said children and young people under the age of 18 should be able to benefit from digital technologies in environments that support their education, development, and well-being while protecting them from online harms.

"We acknowledged the positive role digital technologies play in expanding access to education, healthcare, creativity, and social connections," the joint statement read in part.

However, they warned that minors face growing risks online, including exposure to illegal and age-inappropriate content, harmful interactions, addictive platform features and emerging threats linked to artificial intelligence.

The declaration calls on digital service providers to adopt "safety-by-design" approaches, including privacy-preserving age verification systems, stronger default safety settings and effective parental control tools.

"Governments and industry players are urged to work together to ensure children can safely navigate digital spaces while maintaining user privacy and complying with national laws," the statement added.

The G7 also highlighted concerns about conversational artificial intelligence tools, noting that while they offer significant educational and innovation opportunities, they may also expose children to risks that could undermine their safety and well-being.

Technology companies were encouraged to implement child-friendly default safety settings, parental controls and age-assurance mechanisms for AI-powered services.

Leaders further stressed the importance of helping young users distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content.

"We call on digital platforms to improve transparency regarding content origins and support digital literacy initiatives that equip children and youth with critical skills for engaging responsibly online," they stated.

The declaration reaffirmed a zero-tolerance stance on child sexual abuse material, online grooming, sexual exploitation, sexual extortion and non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes involving minors.

Technology companies were urged to strengthen detection and removal systems to prevent such content from spreading on their platforms.

The leaders also pledged to combat the online recruitment of children and youth into violent extremism, terrorism, organised crime, and drug trafficking, calling for closer cooperation between digital service providers, law enforcement agencies, and families.

To support evidence-based policymaking, the G7 and partner countries committed to promoting research on the impact of digital services and artificial intelligence on minors.

They also endorsed the G7 Common Set of Principles for a safer digital space for minors and instructed ministers to regularly review progress and report on implementation by the end of the year.

The declaration reflects discussions among G7 members and partner countries, including Kenya, on strengthening international cooperation to create a safer and more secure digital environment for children and young people worldwide.