Four child protection regulations to have on your radar – and how to comply with them

gamesindustry.biz:

There are many wonderful learning and educational opportunities available online, and in an ideal world we create an online environment where children can thrive.

However, much of the content available online was designed with adults in mind and children can easily access content that isn't deemed age-appropriate. As such, there is a growing consensus amongst the global population and governments that more needs to be done to ensure age-appropriate access to goods and services.

It is estimated that one in three internet users is under 18. As such, huge volumes of children and young people are being exposed to online environments which were designed for adults. A significant part of this issue is that many children know they can lie about their age online to gain access to platforms and content designed for older users. And vice versa, it is easy for adults with malicious intent to target platforms designed for younger users.

There is no one silver bullet when it comes to child safety, but a range of options exist to create age-appropriate experiences and protect children online

To tackle some of these issues, a raft of legislations across the globe are being introduced to improve online safety for children, such as the Online Safety Bill, the Digital Services Act and the California Age Appropriate Design Code Act. Some of the largest platforms, such as SuperAwesome, are already mobilising and exploring different age assurance options to obtain parental consent and protect children and young people.

But many more organisations have yet to fully understand the scale of the issue and start exploring how they're going to tackle the challenges of the 'four Cs':

It has to be said that there is no one silver bullet when