Child and a computer
Professor Sonia Livingstone of the Department of Media and Communications has contributed to the Council of Europe’s Guidelines on children’s rights in the digital environment.
As a member of the Committee for the Rights of the Child, Professor Livingstone helped devise a recommendation to ‘better respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment‘. The recommendation was adopted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 4 July 2018.
Professor Livingstone said: “These new guidelines will help member states navigate the tricky child rights and governance issues that arise as they seek to minimise the risk of harm to children online, while also maximising their opportunities to learn, play and express themselves in the digital environment.”
In a separate recognition, the UN’s Special Rapporteur, Joe Cannataci, has referred to Professor Livingstone’s research in his End of Mission Statement on the Right to Privacy in the United Kingdom.
Professor Livingstone’s research cited by the UN’s Special Rapporteur focuses on recognising children’s needs and views on their right to privacy, and was funded by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights.