5Rights

We have treated an entire generation like guinea pigs. For those of us who grew up before the digital age, internet seemed a beneficial tool. It complemented our social lives and we assumed this would be the same for children, but we failed to recognise the harms. Now, we risk repeating the same mistakes with AI and emerging technologies. AI can be useful for saving time, but learning is difficult, it requires effort and time. The benefits of AI for learning have not yet been demonstrated. Meanwhile, we have seen an alarming decline of PISA results and how children’s use of technology has become the main source of family conflicts. Protecting children in the digital world must be a responsibility of the industry, and digital products should be independently certified for safety before they reach our children, whether at home or in schools. Technology companies, not parents, must ensure their products and services are safe - this is the only way to solve the problem. We have a chance now to learn from our mistakes, to rethink the system and ensure future generations don’t pay the price. Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/e6GR2ZE5 5Rights, La Vanguardia, Eva Millet Malagarriga

📅 What can children’s lived experiences tell us about the digital environments being created for them? This Friday, the Digital Futures for Children centre (DFC) celebrates three years of research and collaboration with its annual Research Insights Day, bringing together researchers, policymakers, civil society, practitioners and young people. Sessions featuring 5Rights will include: 💻 Children’s experiences in digital classrooms, with Lucy Street 🌐 Age-appropriate design for children, with Beckett L. 🤖 AI and children’s futures: what’s next, with Colette C. The discussions will explore how research can inform policy and help ensure children’s rights are protected in a rapidly changing digital environment. 📍 In-person at Shaw Library, LSE & online 🗓️ Friday 23 October ⏰ 10:00 – 16:00 BST 🔗 Tickets to attend are free - explore the programme and register: https://lnkd.in/e2SiXkmD   #DigitalFutures4Children #ChildRights The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

💬 Is a safer, more human-centric digital future possible? At LUSH Talks: Reclaim Connection in Liverpool, 5Rights UK Affairs Officer Lucy Street joined a conversation on reclaiming community, connection and resistance in the digital age alongside journalist Adele Zeynep Walton in a discussion moderated by FlippGen’s Aimee O.. From advocating for safety-by-design technology to building communities that put human connection first, the panel explored how we can challenge exploitative platforms and create digital spaces that serve people, not algorithms. 👏 Huge thanks to LUSH for bringing everyone together. #LUSHTalks #ChildRights

💬 “They cannot imagine what this future looks like. They don’t see themselves in it.”   At a recent Equitat.org panel in Barcelona, 5Rights’ Executive Director Leanda Barrington-Leach spoke about how AI is changing the way children imagine their futures.   As uncertainty grows around the jobs they’ll do and the education they’ll receive, children are losing their sense of ownership over the future.   We need to listen to children, understand their concerns and ensure they have a say in the future taking shape around them.   🎥 Watch the full panel: https://lnkd.in/eQrFPxmy #ChildRights #AI

Join Our Workshop on AI Chatbots! We’re working with NSPCC and 5Rights to organise a workshop with children and young people. At the workshop we want to hear from you about: - How AI chatbots are being used by children and young people - If you have any worries of concerns about these chatbots - What changes you would like to see to make chatbots safer for children The workshop will take place online on Zoom, on Tuesday 3rd November from 5:30pm to 7:00pm GMT. The workshop is for children and young people aged 11 to 19. You will discuss this topic with other children and young people who are a similar age to you. To take part, please get in touch with the NSPCC at: YouthCSOSolutions@nspcc.org.uk, or visit flippgen.com to find out more!

⚖️ Can online safety laws work if enforcement is tied up in court? Meta is challenging Ofcom’s rules for calculating maximum penalties under the UK’s Online Safety Act, with 5Rights Foundation intervening in support of Ofcom. The case puts the law’s ability to hold major tech companies to account to the test — but this challenge is part of a bigger picture. From the UK to the EU and beyond, major tech companies are taking regulators to court over fines, information requests and the rules they’re expected to follow. Companies have the right to challenge regulatory decisions. But repeated legal challenges risk slowing down enforcement, draining regulatory resources and make it harder for regulators to put protections into practice.   For children, the stakes are real. Online safety laws can only deliver meaningful protection if regulators have the power to enforce them.   Swipe through to see the cases, what’s being challenged and why it matters.   #ChildRights

🎙️ Young people shouldn’t have to stay on guard to stay safe online. In Tech This Out!, 5Rights host Rhythm sits down with EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef to explore how we can shape a digital future that puts young people’s rights and experiences first. They discuss why platform design matters, how young people can have a meaningful say in EU policymaking, and why responsibility for a safer digital world must extend beyond the people navigating it. 🎧 Catch up on the episode: https://lnkd.in/epggMNxT #ChildRights #Podcast

🤖 AI is reshaping children’s lives, whether or not they use it. On 15 October, the Digital Futures for Children centre (DFC) will bring together experts to examine what the evidence tells us about AI and children’s rights, and what this means for policy. Speakers include: 🎤 Sophie Kiladze, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 🎤 Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director, 5Rights 🎤 Sonia Livingstone, Director, Digital Futures for Children centre (DFC) 🎤 Smera Jayadeva, Independent Researcher   📅 Thursday 15 October 🕑 14:00 - 15:00 (BST) 💻 Online Register here: https://lnkd.in/eGBf24sx #ChildRights #DigitalFutures4Children The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

📱 42% of minors across Europe say they feel bored when they cannot use social media for a while. Platforms are designed to keep children engaged, from endless feeds to notifications that bring them back again and again. Children deserve technology that respects their time and attention, not systems built around keeping them hooked. Join our campaign 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eYJ_tWPG    #ChildhoodRedrawn

💬 “We need to know that the technology and teaching methods that are being used are tried and tested, are effective, and are safe.”   📱 A joint letter from health professionals has called for greater scrutiny of EdTech in schools, highlighting concerns about its potential impact on children’s development.   Sonia Livingstone, Director of the Digital Futures for Children centre (DFC) spoke to Olly Mann on Times Radio about concerns over children’s screen use in schools and the need to better understand its impact on their development and learning, drawing on upcoming research from the DFC and 5Rights into how EdTech is used in education.   Education technology should support children’s learning, not come at the expense of their health, wellbeing or development. Understanding its impact is essential to ensuring it is used safely and effectively.   🎧 Listen to the full interview here (Sonia’s segment begins at 18m 30s): https://lnkd.in/etaRf2qR #EdTech #DigitalFutures4Children The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)