Highlights

Smartphone policies in schools: What does the evidence say?

Smartphone ‘bans’ in schools may seem the obvious policy to address the concerns about the impact of digital technology on education. But do they work? The DFC gathered evidence from around the world. We found that school smartphone policies vary considerably and most implement restrictions of one kind or another rather than outright bans. Read the report by Miriam Rahali, Beeban Kidron and Sonia Livingstone.

EdTech needs a code of practice

The DFC recently published two research briefs and proposed a code of practice for EdTech

International regulatory decisions concerning EdTech companies’ data practices: this shows the extent of recent government actions against Google Workspace for Education’s treatment of children’s data.

Enforcement action improves privacy for children in education: more is needed. A brief analysis of recent changes to policies and practice in Google’s Workspace for Education: this shows that recent government actions have led to improvements in Google’s policies, but these are still insufficient.

A Code of Practice for EdTech supported by a certification scheme would make it easier for schools to use technology for the benefit of children confidently and in a way that respects child rights and create pathways for beneficial sharing of education data for innovation.

Best Interests of the Child in the Digital Environment

Children’s best interests must be a primary consideration in the digital world but what that means is often misunderstood or even misused. Our report shows the importance of seeking best interests determination only in situations where several of child’s rights are in tension or where third-party claims jeopardise children’s rights. Read report

 Publications and resources

• Livingstone, S., Nair, A., Stoilova, M., van der Hof, S., & Caglar, C. (2024). Children’s Rights and Online Age Assurance Systems: The Way Forward. The International Journal of Children's Rights, 32(3), 721-747. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-32030001
• Livingstone, S. and Sylwander, K.R. (2024). Children's rights and the UN Global Digital Compact. Academy of Social Sciences.
• Livingstone, S., Pothong, K. & Colvert, A. (2024). Response to the call for evidence - Play Commission. Digital Futures for Children centre.
• Livingstone, S. & Atabey, A. (2024). Response to ICO’s Children’s code strategy call for evidence. Digital Futures for Children centre.
• Atabey, A. (2024). Response to the Call for Contributions: Artificial intelligence in education and its human rights-based use at the service of the advancement of the right to education by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the right to education. Digital Futures for Children centre.

• Atabey, A., & Hooper, L. (2024). International regulatory decisions concerning EdTech companies' data practices. Digital Futures for Children centre, LSE and 5Rights Foundation.

• Hooper, L., Atabey, A., & Pothong, K. (2024). Enforcement action improves privacy for children in education: more is needed. A brief analysis of recent changes to policies and practice in Google’s Workspace for Education. Digital Futures for Children centre, LSE and 5Rights Foundation.

• Wood, S. (2024). Impact of regulation on children’s digital lives. Digital Futures for Children centre, LSE and 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S., Hooper, L. and Atabey, A. (2024). In support of a Code of Practice for Education Technology. Briefing by the Digital Futures for Children centre for Amendment 146 to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. Digital Futures for Children centre, LSE and 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S., Cantwell, N., Özkul, D, Shekhawat, G., and Kidron, B. (2024). The best interests of the child in the digital environment. Digital Futures for Children centre, LSE and 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S. (2024) Children’s rights in the digital age. An interview with Andrea Millwood Hargrave. Intermedia, 52(1).

• Livingstone, S. and Özkul, D. (2024). Identifying the “best interests of the child” in relation to the digital environment. Media@LSE. 

• 5Rights Foundation (2024). A High Level of Privacy, Safety & Security for Minors. A best practices baseline for the implementation of the Digital Services Act for children. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S. and Shekhawat, G. (2023). AI and children’s rights: a guide to the transnational guidance. Media@LSE.

• Atabey, A., Pothong, K. & Livingstone, S. (2023). Glossary of terms. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• Kidron, B., Pothong, K., Hooper, L., Livingstone, S., Atabey, A. & Turner, S. (2023). A Blueprint for Education Data: Realising children’s best interests in digitised education.Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Vosloo, S. & Helsper. E.J. (2023). A Global Review of Selected Digital Inclusion Policies. Key findings and policy requirements for greater digital equality of children.  Office of Global Insight and Policy (OGIP), UNICEF, Geneva (CH). Available at: https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/global-review-digital-inclusion-policies

• Pothong, K. & Livingstone, S. (2023). Children’s Rights through Children’s Eyes: A methodology for consulting children. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S., Stoilova, M., & Rahali, M. (2023). Realising children's rights in the digital age: The role of digital skills. KU Leuven: ySKILLS. See also: interactive report and animation

• Livingstone, S. & Pothong, K. (2023). Child Rights by Design: Guidance for Innovators of Digital Products and Services Used by Children. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation. Microsite at https://childrightsbydesign.digitalfuturescommission.org.uk/
• Livingstone, S., Ólafsson, K. & Pothong, K. (2023). Digital play on children’s terms: A child rights approach to designing digital experiences. New Media & Society.
• Helsper. E.J. & Vosloo, S (2023). Towards Child-Centred and Future-Ready Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure. G20/T20 Policy brief for task force 2 Our Common Digital Future: Affordable, Accessible and Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure. UNICEF. Geneva (CH) and Delhi (India).
• Kidron, B. & Rudkin, A. (2023) Digital Childhood. Addressing Childhood Developmental Milestones in the Digital Environment. 2nd edition. 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2023). Disrupted Childhood: The cost of persuasive design. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S., Helsper, E., and Rahali, M. (2022) The digital lives of children and youth. Chapter 9, Global Connectivity Report 2022. International Telecommunications Union. See also the blog.

• Day, E., Pothong, K., Atabey, A. & Livingstone, S. (2022). Who controls children’s education data? A socio-legal analysis of the UK governance regimes for schools and EdTech. Learning, Media and Technology, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2152838

• Hooper, L., Livingstone, S. & Pothong, K. (2022). Problems with Data Governance in UK Schools: The Cases of Google Classroom and ClassDojo. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.
• United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Helsper, E.J.. & Vosloo, S.  (2022). Towards a Child-Centred Digital Equality Framework. Office of Global Insight and Policy (OGIP), UNICEF, Geneva (CH). Available at:
• Livingstone, S. (2022). A child rights approach to online risks and opportunities. In Jaffé, P., Lakatos, O., Langenegger Roux, N., Moodly, Z., Nanchen, Ch., & Zermatten, J. (Eds.) Les droits de l'enfant à l’ère digitale: Faut-il protéger les enfants des écrans? (17-25) University of Geneva.
• Livingstone, S. & Pothong, K. (eds) (2022). Education Data Futures: Critical, Regulatory and Practical Reflections. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.
• Livingstone, S. & Pothong, K. (2022). Imaginative play in digital environments: Designing social and creative opportunities for identity formation. Information, Communication & Society, 25(4), 485–501. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2046128
• Turner, S., Pothong, K. & Livingstone, S. (2022). Education Data Reality: The Challenges for Schools in Managing Children’s Education Data. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2022). Shedding light on AI A framework for algorithmic oversight. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2022). Approaches to children’s data protection: A comparative international mapping. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• Livingstone, S. & Pothong, K. (2021). Playful by Design: A Vision of Free Play in a Digital World. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.
• Mukherjee, S., Pothong, K. & Livingstone, S. (2021). Child Rights Impact Assessment: A tool to realise child rights in the digital environment. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2021). Pathways: How digital design puts children at risk. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2021). Risky by Design. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2021). But how do they know it is a child? Age Assurance in the Digital World. London: 5Rights Foundation.
• Mukherjee, S. & Livingstone, S. (2020). Children and Young People’s Voices. Digital Futures Commission, 5Rights Foundation.

• 5Rights Foundation (2020). Child Online Safety Toolkit. London: 5Rights Foundation.

• Third, A., Livingstone, S. & Lansdown, G. (2019). Recognising children’s rights in relation to digital technologies: Challenges of voice and evidence, principle and practice. In Kettemann, M., Vieth, K., & Wagner, B. (Eds), Research Handbook on Human Rights and Digital Technology (pp.376-410). London: Edward Elgar.
• Lievens, E., Livingstone, S., McLaughlin, S., O’Neill, B. & Verdoodt, V. (2018). Children’s rights and digital technologies. In T. Liefaard and U. Kilkelly (Eds.), International Children’s Rights Law. Berlin: Springer.
• Livingstone, S. & Third, A. (2017). Children and young people’s rights in the digital age: An emerging agenda. New Media & Society, 19(5): 657–670.
• Livingstone, S. (2016). Reframing media effects in terms of children’s rights in the digital age. Journal of Children and Media, 10(1): 4-12.
• Stoilova, M., Livingstone, S. & Kardefelt-Winther, D. (2016) Global Kids Online: researching children’s rights globally in the digital age. Global Studies of Childhood, 6(4): 455-466.

For resources from the 5Rights Foundation see here.