Council of Europe

The Council of Europe has adopted several legal standards with a view to enhancing human rights protection on the Internet, which include the protection of children’s rights on the Internet:

• The European Court of Human Rights has developed case-law on human rights on the Internet about the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 of European Convention on Human Rights) and freedom of expression (Article 10).
• The Convention on Cybercrime (“Budapest Convention”) establishes a common approach to the criminalisation of offences related to computer systems (such as child pornography) and aims to make criminal investigations concerning such offences more effective.
• The Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, “Lanzarote Convention” responds to potential risks faced by children when using the Internet by imposing criminal penalties for online child pornography and grooming, that is, the solicitation of children for sexual purposes.
• The Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data ensures respect for fundamental human rights with regard to the processing of personal data. Children are holders of data protection rights under the Convention and special attention must be paid to empowering children to exercise their right to data protection.
• The Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers on a Guide to human rights for Internet users promotes respect for existing human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of Internet use. The guide serves as a tool for Internet users to learn about their human rights online and the available remedies for any limitations. It also specifically states that children and young people are entitled to special protection and guidance when using the Internet

The Council of Europe Internet Literacy Handbook explains how to get the most out of the Internet and how to protect one’s privacy.

Children learn best by doing, and that is why the Council of Europe has designed a game to help children understand their rights on the Internet: the Wild Web Woods. The game teaches children how to respect the rights of others on the Internet. The aim of the game is to reach the e-city Kometa which
is a place of fun, peace and freedom. Kometa can only be reached by passing through the Wild Web Woods and collecting coins. Each time the player collects a coin they are given important information about Internet safety and children’s rights. The game is accompanied by a guide for teachers, Teacher’s guide to the online game: Wild Web Woods.

The No Hate Speech Movement stemmed from the Council of Europe youth campaign aimed at addressing and combating hate speech by mobilising young people to speak up for human rights and democracy online. It encouraged young people to take action, including raising awareness and educating about the risks that hate speech poses to human rights and democracy, reacting to and reporting cases of hate speech as well as promoting responsible behaviour online and digital citizenship. Launched in 2013, the No Hate Speech Movement youth campaign was, until 2017, co-ordinated at European level by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe. The movement continues across Europe and beyond through the work of the national campaigns and campaign activists.

United Nations

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression has recognised the links between the Internet and international human rights, finding that “access to the Internet is not only essential to enjoy the right to freedom of expression, but also other rights, such as the right to education, the right to freedom of association and assembly, the right to full participation in social, cultural and political life and the right to social and economic  development”.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals targets “significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”. (SDG 9)