Peer-reviewed article
Mapping Policies and Regulations for Safe and Healthy Digital Environments for Children and Adolescents
Sofia Castro Lopes, Louise Holly, Ilona Kickbusch ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study maps how countries worldwide are using policies and regulations to protect children and adolescents from online harms. Researchers found that existing laws often address online sexual exploitation, abuse, and cyberbullying, but largely ignore risks like inappropriate content, addictive applications, and misleading marketing. A key finding is that health ministries are rarely involved in creating these policies, despite the health consequences of online harms.
Key points
- Most countries have policies addressing online sexual exploitation, abuse, and cyberbullying
- Policies rarely address exposure to inappropriate content, addictive applications, and misleading marketing practices
- Health ministries and departments have limited involvement in shaping digital safety policies
- The health sector needs to take a more active role in developing policies for children's digital safety
- A public health approach is needed to create effective policy responses focused on children's and adolescents' well-being
Limitations
This document is a policy mapping study that describes what exists rather than evaluating whether policies work or improve outcomes. It cannot tell us which policy approaches are most effective at reducing harm or improving child well-being.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Policies and regulations have the potential to shape the dynamics of digital transformations, preventing negative health outcomes and creating healthier and safer digital environments. To gain insight into how countries are approaching safety in digital environments for children and adolescents, the Digital Transformations for Health‐Lab (DTH‐Lab) team analyzed policies and regulations worldwide, mapping national strategies to protect young people from online harms, including restrictions on smartphone use. While existing legislation often addresses the mental and physical health consequences of online sexual exploitation, abuse, and cyberbullying, other online risks like exposure to inappropriate content, addictive applications, and misleading marketing practices, along with their associated health impacts, are largely overlooked. A surprising finding is the limited involvement of health ministries or departments in shaping these policies. These results underscore the urgent need for the health sector to take a more proactive role in improving the safety and well‐being of children and adolescents in digital environments. International agencies, nongovernmental organizations, health professional associations, civil society, and researchers must establish a narrative that encourages and supports the active participation of the health sector, especially through public health approaches that can support and shape effective policy responses with children's and adolescents' well‐being at heart in the digital age.