The open forum on “Promoting tech companies to ensure children’s online safety”, co-organized by CFIS, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the Communication University of China (CUC), was held successfully at the 19th UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 16, 2024.
The leading officers of the Secretariat of CFIS attended the meeting and introduced China’s concept of protecting minors on the Internet. In addition, CFIS’s practice in strengthening the self-discipline of the Internet industry and promoting tech companies to fulfill their social responsibilities regarding ensuring online safety for minors was also presented. First, CFIS established a special committee for minors’ online protection in cooperation with Internet platform enterprises, civil societies, and news media. Second, it carried out public welfare events such as the “@Ya” Public Welfare Action Plan for the Protection of Minors in Cyberspace”. Third, it issued reports on children’s online safety needs and annual reports on minors’ online protection. Fourth, it hosted relevant events on the theme of children’s online protection at platforms such as the UN IGF, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the World Internet Conference. In particular, in 2024, CFIS collected company cases on responsible technological innovation for minors in cooperation with UNICEF and plans to showcase outstanding cases at the UN level in the future, providing “Chinese experience” for technological innovation of global Internet companies.
Dora, Director of the Child Protection Division at the UNICEF China office, noted that this forum provides a platform for tech companies, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to share insights and ideas. This is crucial for promoting dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders and addressing critical issues affecting millions of children around the world. She also stated that we can develop and implement effective strategies to protect children in cyberspace through joint efforts.
Representatives from organizers, experts, scholars, and business representatives attended and spoke at the conference. Participants had in-depth exchanges on topics such as how tech companies can effectively fulfill their responsibilities of protecting children online while pursuing technological innovation and how to utilize artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to implement the responsibility of children’s online protection in the context of scientific and technological innovation. It was recognized that the open forum provided helpful references for other countries to formulate policies and safeguard children’s online safety.
This open forum is reported to be one of the 48 open forums of the 19th UN IGF. Over 100 guests from government departments, civil societies, universities, scientific research institutes, news media, and Internet enterprises participated online and offline.