Under the care of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a seminar focusing on the protection of children and their personal data on online platforms was held in Budapest. The event brought together experts from audiovisual and digital regulatory authorities of European Union member states, high-level representatives of online platforms, European Commission representatives, researchers, and technology professionals. They discussed the risks posed by internet use for children and the most effective ways to protect them.
The seminar’s primary goal was to create a space for constructive discussion aimed at developing dedicated policies and promoting best practices for protecting the personal data of child users on online platforms. Participants discussed on the implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks that protect children’s rights in the digital world, with particular attention to personal data protection and preventing the exploitation of children through social medias and other online applications.
Jeremy Bonan – Deputy Director of the Online Platform Directorate at ARCOM France, Marisa Jimenez Martin – Director of Public Policy and Deputy Head of the Meta platform for the EU region, and June Lowery Kingston – Head of the Accessibility and Safer Internet Unit at the European Commission, emphasized that creating a safe digital space for children is an urgent responsibility for everyone. This requires strengthening mechanisms for controlling children’s access to the internet and implementing filters to protect them from harmful online content.
From the perspective of Albania’s current situation and the excessive exposure of children to harmful content, the seminar provided an important opportunity for coordinating approaches among lawmakers, regulators, experts, and organizations committed to protecting children from online risks and protecting their personal data.
