Geneva, In a pressing call to action, a United Nations expert has highlighted the critical need for children’s rights to be prioritized in the development and regulation of internet and digital technologies. Ahead of Safer Internet Day, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, emphasized the dual nature of the internet as both a tool for positive development and a medium for the exploitation and abuse of children.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Singhateh’s statement pointed out the emerging threats in the digital world, including the rise of generative AI and extended reality technologies that facilitate child sexual abuse and exploitation. She noted an alarming 87% increase in reported child sexual abuse material since 2019, underscoring the evolving scale and methods of online exploitation.

The Special Rapporteur criticized the private sector and technology industry for their failures in preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation, highlighting biases, flaws in surveillance software, and insufficient action against exploitation networks. Singhateh called for increased political commitment and improved legislative and regulatory efforts that integrate human rights, gender-responsive, and child-sensitive approaches to address these challenges effectively.

Singhateh welcomed the establishment of the Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body but stressed the urgent need for scaling up efforts to establish a multilateral instrument dedicated to eradicating online child sexual abuse and exploitation. She advocated for a global alliance for safer and more accountable technology governance, emphasizing the importance of including children’s, victims’, survivors’, and stakeholders’ voices in creating ethical digital products.

The statement underlines the necessity for greater cooperation and concrete action to ensure a safer internet for children worldwide, urging commitments to extend beyond mere declarations towards effective implementation.