Mapping the impact of General comment No. 25 (GC25)

Since GC25 was adopted in 2021, there has been no systematic tracking of its take up or use around the world, nor of the benefits that this may bring to children’s rights in relation to the digital environment. GC25 encompasses a wide array of issues, actions and intended outcomes: we need to know if they are being realised, and where further encouragement or advocacy is most needed. This research will map the impact of the adoption of GC25 by mapping the GC and its related issues in international, regional and national decision-making processes related to the rights of children in the digital environment in governance, legislation and policy.

We invite you to share information and suggestions that may aid us in our research project. Here is our call for evidence.

You can expect our open-access report by late November 2024.

The role of mobile phone use in school for children’s development, wellbeing and educational outcomes

The purpose of this review is to identify the range of best practices that have been taken both in the UK and internationally regarding the allowance of mobile phones in schools. To do so, we must first account for the current situation by drawing on available statistics and empirical evidence regarding the policies and consequences of mobile phones in schools. 

We will collate evidence related to specific policies implemented across schools, with a view to identifying how administrators, teachers, students and parents can be better supported to manage their children’s engagement with their phones.

Please suggest evidence for us to consider – we’d love to include sources from many countries. Submit your suggestions here by 31st August 2024.

You can expect our open-access report in the autumn of 2024.

The DFC research database

There is no single place to find research evidence relating to children’s rights in the digital environment. Many good research sources are paywalled (academic journals) or restricted (university libraries), with data about online life often in the hands of commercial companies. This poses a particular problem of access for child rights advocates, researchers and civil society organisations, especially in the global majority world. Reflecting on this, the DFC is developing a research database – an online, open-access resource, accessible via our website showcasing peer-reviewed research, reports, whistleblower testimonies, key legislation and other relevant material. The research database encompasses the scope of General comment No. 25 and supports its implementation.

Our database is in the form of a public Zotero library where our researchers share their carefully reviewed and summarised key takeaways from reports and academic publications that can be used as evidence for advocacy and policymaking. To be launched in October 2024, it will be open access, searchable and our contribution to the collective understanding of children’s rights in the digital world.

We are looking to expand the scope of the database and welcome your suggestions. You can contribute here.

The impact of regulation on children’s digital lives

In response to rising concerns over the ineffectiveness of self-regulation, there are growing efforts to regulate big tech, mainly focused on safety in relation to children. While regulations such as the Online Safety Act (UK), the Digital Safety Act (EU), the Age Appropriate Design Code (UK and California) etc., set new precedents and make headlines, we lack good evidence about whether regulation (especially legislation) is effective in protecting children, and whether different types of regulation are more or less effective on different digital services. Therefore, our ongoing research project seeks to address what impactful, good regulation looks like as such evidence is needed to advocate future regulatory efforts. We focus on particular regulations and seek information about changes directly from companies as well as publicly available literature such as testimonies, parliamentary submissions and legal filings. The first phase of this work was published as an open-access long-form report, providing key transnational comparisons.

We expect to publish our second report in the summer of 2025.

REPHRAIN: Towards a better understanding of global experiences of online child sexual exploitation and abuse

The Digital Futures for Children (DFC) centre is working with researchers at the University of Cambridge, UNICEF, and the University of Oxford to examine measures of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in diverse contexts around the world. Find out more.

If you would like to enquire about the progress of specific projects or have information to share, you can contact us.