Valerie Verdoodt

Faraway, so close: why the digital industry needs scholars and the other way around

Abstract The body of knowledge about children’s engagement with digital technologies has steadily grown in the last decade. Such rich evidence has begun to be used to inform policy-makers, (local) governments, parents, educators, awareness-raisers and even children themselves. However, other relevant stakeholders such as the industry seem to be taking less advantage of this rich knowledge base. Without industry collaboration, the work of media scholars presents a missed opportunity to ensure that children are better protected and empowered and that their rights are taken into consideration in the development of new digital products and services. Merely informing the industry is, however, not enough. Scholars must ensure that their knowledge translates into practical guidelines and concrete solutions to guarantee children`s better and safer digital experiences. This can only be achieved by keeping on building new knowledge, but also by exploring new avenues for cooperation and co-creation of child-centred solutions with partners such as the industry, but also with children themselves. Last, it remains to be seen whether the benefits outweigh the challenges and the costs involved in collaboration.

Platforms and commercial communications aimed at children: a playground under legislative reform?

ABSTRACT Today’s online media services landscape is characterised by an increased convergence between traditional media and the delivery of over the internet content (audiovisual or otherwise). This convergence raises important new questions regarding the scope of the existing regulatory framework on commercial communications. Due to the complexity of the framework – which includes media law, consumer protection law, e-commerce law and data protection law – it is becoming ever more difficult to delineate the responsibilities of certain service providers (e.g. video-sharing platforms) for the commercial communications that appear on their platforms, not excluding their potential qualification as ‘controller’ or ‘processor’ under the EU data protection framework. It is therefore time to consider the potential impact of the ongoing legislative reforms for both traditional and new players on the media playground, to better understand their shared impact and responsibility. As such, this paper will analyse the different responsibilities these new internet platforms will face in the context of commercial communication aimed at a young audience. For this purpose, it will analyse the interplay between the different legislative instruments mentioned above to discover any gaps or clarify any overlaps, which could ultimately have a negative impact on the empowerment of children.

Children’s rights and digital technologies

Digital technologies have reshaped children’s lives, resulting in new opportunities for and risks to their well-being and rights. This chapter investigates the impact of digital technologies on children’s rights through the lens of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Up until now, not all rights have received the same level of attention in the digital context. Legal and policy discourse in the area of children and digital media predominantly focuses on ‘protection’ rights, albeit with a growing awareness of the tension between ‘protection’ and ‘participation’ rights. ‘Provision’ rights are not often emphasised, other than in the important domain of education. However, all children’s rights should be supported, valued and developed in both online and offline spheres of engagement. Governments, parents, educators, industry, civil society and children’s rights commissioners or ombudspersons should all take up their responsibility to enhance children’s rights in relation to digital technologies, while actively listening and taking account of children’s views when developing laws, policies, programmes and other measures in this field.