Health
STAKEHOLDERS have called for a multi-sectoral approach involving government, civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), faith-based groups and technology companies to address growing concerns about children’s safety online.
The stakeholders made the call on Tuesday during a discussion on child online protection, stressing that safeguarding children from harmful digital content could not be left to parents alone but required a collective effort from all sectors of society.
Mr Ojugo Onyelukchukwu-Ojay, an Abuja-based development consultant and aspiring diplomat, said protecting children online was a shared responsibility that required the active participation of various stakeholders, including government institutions.
Ojugo said it was important to involve CSOs, CBOs, faith-based organisations and other groups, noting that no single organisation could build a community alone and that nation-building required collective effort.
He emphasised the importance of government intervention through legislation, noting that laws were necessary to ensure accountability and impose consequences for violations.
According to him, the existence of laws helped define acceptable conduct and provided sanctions for those who breached them.
Ojugo referenced actions taken by countries such as New Zealand, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and the United Kingdom to restrict children’s exposure to harmful online content.
He said such decisions were likely based on extensive research, statistics and assessments of the impact of digital platforms on children.
According to him, the countries must have conducted research and reviewed relevant statistics before introducing the measures.
He added that societies must continue to evaluate the effects of digital exposure on children and develop solutions that would protect young people from harmful influences.
Also speaking, Ms Amy Onwumere, a legal and programme officer, described child online protection as a collective responsibility involving parents, government, technology companies and other stakeholders.
Onwumere said everyone had a role to play in protecting children online and that responsibility should not be placed solely on any particular group.
She noted that while parents had an important role in guiding children’s online activities, governments must establish clear legal frameworks to protect children from harmful digital content.
According to her, governments should enact laws that would protect children from illicit content and materials capable of endangering their well-being in the digital space.
Onwumere also highlighted the responsibility of technology companies, arguing that platforms that create and distribute digital content must be accountable for ensuring children’s safety.
She said technology companies played a crucial role because they designed and made digital content accessible to young users.
She called for stronger monitoring systems and accountability measures, particularly against platforms that allowed harmful content to remain accessible for extended periods.
According to her, harmful content remaining online for up to 48 hours was sufficient to cause damage and should not be permitted under any regulatory framework.
She urged technology companies to implement effective screening mechanisms to identify and remove harmful content before it negatively affected children.
Onwumere said technology companies should be held accountable for harmful content on their platforms and should put measures in place to screen and prevent the dissemination of such materials.
The stakeholders stressed that protecting children in the digital age required collaboration among families, communities, policymakers, regulators and online platforms to create a safer internet environment for young users.(NAN)
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Tags: Online Abuse of children stakeholders