IGF 2025

The rapid evolution of digital technologies presents both opportunities and challenges for child safety online, particularly in the context of digital trust and resilience. While restrictive measures like blanket bans, age-gating, and encryption backdoors are often proposed as solutions, evidence suggests they may inadvertently push children towards riskier behaviors and weaken digital protections rather than enhancing them. This session will explore effective, evidence-based strategies to protect children in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
The session will highlight that age-gating the Internet can hamper access to educational and developmentally essential content, particularly in Global Majority countries, where digital literacy is intertwined with economic and social mobility. Similarly, weakening encryption in an attempt to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) could make children more vulnerable to cyber threats, while perpetrators migrate to unregulated platforms and dark web channels. Instead, a multi-pronged approach focusing on enhanced parental controls, safer UI/UX designs, and proactive intervention mechanisms offers a more sustainable and child-centric model.
The session will discuss:
1. Best Practices: Effective interventions, including default safety settings, proactive content moderation, and collaborative efforts between platforms, policymakers, and educators.
2. Generative AI & Child Safety: Addressing risks like misinformation, cognitive offloading, and deepfakes, while ensuring AI can serve as an educational co-pilot for underserved children, particularly in the Global Majority.
3. Policy & Regulatory Frameworks: Examining successful governance models that balance child protection, online freedoms, and technological progress.
The discussion reinforces a whole-of-society approach to building a resilient, child-safe digital ecosystem without stifling innovation.
This session is designed to be highly engaging, ensuring active participation through discussions, real-time feedback, and practical takeaways.

Open-floor Q&A to encourage direct engagement with panelists.
Live polling (Slido/Mentimeter) to gather audience insights in real time.
Printed handouts & QR codes for easy access to session materials.
Concise, data-driven presentations to maximize discussion time.
Case studies & real-world examples to foster interactive dialogue.

Speakers:
1. Name: Pranav Bhaskar Tiwari | Organizational Affiliation: The Dialogue & the Alliance for Cyber Trust and Safety | Stakeholder: Academia/Youth | Regional Group of Speakers: APAC

2. Name: Garima Saxena | Organizational Affiliation: The Dialogue & the Alliance for Cyber Trust and Safety | Stakeholder: Civil Society/Youth | Regional Group of Speakers: APAC

3. Name: Andrea Powell | Organizational Affiliation: Alliance for Cyber Trust and Safety | Stakeholder: Civil Society | Regional Group of Speakers: North America