Resolution 2547 (2024)1Provisional version

The protection of children against online violence

Parliamentary Assembly

1. The Parliamentary Assembly stresses the urgent need to protect children from violence in the digitalenvironment, especially in view of growing dangers on the internet and new forms of online violence.

2. Children are increasingly exposed to various forms of online violence, sometimes from an early age.The physical and psychological repercussions are often devastating. Increased use of the internet and digitaltools, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, has led to children being overexposed toage-inappropriate content and behaviour. Smartphones have undoubtedly opened up a new avenue forpersonal development online, but they are also a potential source of violence.

3. Creating a safe environment and minimising the risk of harm are essential to protect children online.Mindful of the difficulty of reconciling the protection of children and their freedom of expression and othercompeting rights, the Assembly reiterates that the best interests of the child must prevail in the developmentand implementation of any measure or policy.

4. The Assembly therefore calls on member States to establish a comprehensive legal framework thatprotects children in the digital environment by applying an integrated and balanced approach to reduceexposure to harm online while not infringing on children’s opportunities to benefit from the internet. Inparticular, it asks the member States to take the following steps to protect children:

4.1. as a minimum standard, impose effective age verification obligations on websites, particularly on sites providing goods and content which are not intended for children, and which would incur similar obligations in the offline world;

4.2. involve and raise awareness of parents and caregivers, who often lack the knowledge and support to detect online exploitation, abuse, violence and exposure of children to pornography, and empower them to deal with it with the backing of civil society and families' organisations;

4.3. take specific measures to protect young children from premature exposure to the digital environment given their vulnerability to, inter alia, violent, sexual or pornographic content and the limited benefits of digital tools with respect to their particular physical, physiological, social and stimulation needs;

4.4. in order to prevent child sexual abuse material and punish perpetrators, set up hash databases supplemented with the due cybersecurity measures with a view to expediting actions to identify and locate children subjected to sexual exploitation or abuse; remove or restrict access to such content; apprehend perpetrators; and provide child victims with the necessary psychological support and rehabilitative care;

4.5. implement school-based educational programmes and outdoor activities, in particular to promote peer-to-peer interactions and parental involvement;

1. Assembly debate on 19 April 2024 (14th sitting) (see Doc. 15954, report of Committee on Social Affairs, Health andSustainable Development, rapporteur: Mr Joseph O'Reilly). Text adopted by the Assembly on 19 April 2024 (14th sitting).

See also Recommendation 2274 (2024).

https://pace.coe.int

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