Topic: 2025 – Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: Brazil
Delegate Name: Sophia Kolekamp
The issue of protecting and empowering the youth in digital spaces has become a growing concern in recent years. Allowing children to have access to digital spaces doesn’t just mean being allowed to be on social media; some children need proper access to digital spaces in order to help their education. It’s essential to address this issue because children should be able to utilize digital platforms in creative and empowering ways while being protected and kept safe. While children can benefit from the use of digital space, there is also a variety of negative consequences that come from digital platforms, cyberbullying, mental health issues, and exposure to personal information, making it unsafe. Brazil has recognized both negative and positive effects that children can have from social media and other digital platforms
The limitlessness of the internet makes it more challenging to put restrictions on children, while still allowing them to express themselves in appropriate ways. The United Nations is currently working on ways they protect children while allowing them to be creative. There are many things the UN is doing to help, and a couple of them include the Child Online Protection, the COP, which is a “multi-stakeholder network launched by the International Telecommunication Union”. This helps to spread awareness of the issue of child safety on the internet. Another way the UN is trying to help is by communicating with social media platforms to try and prevent cyberbullying. The United Nations Children’s Fund-UNICEF- has advocated its concerns on social media platforms, and is now working with them to end cyberbullying. Brazil has also taken numerous actions to help make social media safe. Brazil passed a law in 2022, establishing safeguards for children and new adults on digital platforms. This law is one of the first in Brazil to aim at creating a better digital environment for young people. This law will hopefully protect children’s privacy and protect them from the dangers of social media.
Brazil has the goal to make social media safe as well as educational for all children. Recently, Brazil’s president signed a bill that would protect children and young adults on digital platforms. This new law “prohibits access by minors to content or services deemed improper, inadequate, or legally restricted for those under 18”. This is only one law of many more that will be created to protect the youth while still allowing them to have access to social platforms.
Sources used
https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/10/20/state-let-evil-take-over/prison-crisis-brazilian-state-pernambuco?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://iapp.org/news/a/inside-brazil-s-child-online-safety-bill?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.right-to-education.org/resource/general-comment-no-25-2021-children-s-rights-relation-digital-environment?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://core-evidence.eu/posts/how-the-digital-divide-hinders-children-s-right-to-education-online-learning-in-brazil?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.unicef.org/innovation/stories/protecting-childrens-rights-in-digital-environments?utm_source=chatgpt.com
