Children's Human Rights In Digital Era
Abhirup SindhuOct 8, 202610.5281/zenodo.23236675pp. 318–33417 pages
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) upholds the protection and preservation of human rights universally. Governments across the globe have thus committed to protecting the human rights of every section of society. Children's human rights in the contemporary digital era have become a core area of concern that calls for greater attention. Currently, children constitutes around one-third of total internet users because digital platforms and technologies such as artificial intelligence are becoming more accessible. Thus, it has become imperative to ensures that children are not exposed to harmful content, privacy violations, manipulative design and commercial exploitation while using digital spaces. Digital platforms have become an indispensable part of children's lives because of their increased engagement across multiple levels, such as homes, educational institutions and peer groups. These digital transformations have exposed children to greater risks and necessitate safeguarding children's human rights online. Accordingly, efforts at both global and individual levels have focused on creating safer digital spaces for children. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25 fundamentally provide for the protection of children’s privacy, safety and participation online. In India, the protect children's human rights in digital spaces. Ironically, challenges such as privacy and data protection violations, online safety and exploitation persists. The inadequate legal and regulatory frameworks, weak enforcement mechanisms, digital disparity, limited digital literacy and participation have increased the vulnerability of children’s rights online. The present paper, therefore, aims to study the key human rights of children in the digital era globally as well as in India. The paper is in nature, based on qualitative data drawn from secondary data. It therefore aims to examine the existing legal and administrative mechanisms for the protection of children's rights in digital spaces in India and across the globe. It further suggests that creating safer digital spaces requires robust legislation, child-centric design and greater education and awareness among children to mitigate online threats and risks.