Kosmos Zavazava, Director of the Bureau of Development of Telecommunications at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), shared his views on the myriad threats children face in today's digital world.
Among these threats are grooming, deepfakes, the embedding of harmful features in digital services, cyberbullying, and access to inappropriate content.
He noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in cases of online violence, especially among girls and young women, which often led to physical harm.
Organizations responsible for child protection have warned that malicious actors can use AI to analyze children's online behavior, emotional states, and interests, allowing them to manipulate young users more precisely.
AI technologies have also enabled criminals to create fake images of real children, leading to the emergence of new forms of sexual extortion.
According to a report by the independent Institute for Global Child Safety, Childlight, in the U.S. from 2023 to 2024, the number of cases of sexual violence against children using technology increased from 4,700 to more than 67,000.
At the end of 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts, based on the premise that the risks from such content outweigh the potential benefits.
The Australian government cited its own research, which found that nearly two-thirds of children aged 10 to 15 had encountered cruel, violent, or traumatic content, and more than half had experienced cyberbullying. The majority of this content was disseminated through social media.
Other countries, including Malaysia, the UK, France, and Canada, are also considering implementing similar restrictions. For example, according to media reports, the National Assembly of France passed a bill in its first reading that bans children under 15 from using social media. This document will be forwarded for consideration in the Senate.
In early 2026, UN bodies focused on child rights signed a Joint Statement on Children's Rights and Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the serious risks that society is currently unprepared to address.
According to the UN, countries need more practical recommendations for effectively regulating technologies, and a detailed list of recommendations has been compiled.
“Children are starting to enter the online space at younger ages, and they need to be protected,” Zavazava noted. “Therefore, we have developed recommendations aimed at protecting children online. The first part is for parents, the second for teachers, the third for regulatory bodies, and the fourth for industry and the private sector.”
Key Recommendations
- States should strengthen AI regulatory systems to protect children's rights.
- International organizations should consider children's rights in their measures and strategies related to AI.
- Governments and companies must ensure transparency, accountability, and safety in their AI systems.
- States should prevent and combat violence and exploitation of children occurring or exacerbated by AI.
- Reliable data protection mechanisms focused on children are necessary.
- Decisions made using AI should take into account the interests and holistic development of each child.
- AI should be inclusive and free from bias so that all children can benefit from technologies.
- The opinions and experiences of children themselves should be considered in the development of AI policies and systems.
- The development of AI should promote environmental sustainability and minimize long-term harm to future generations.
