A Global Race to Protect Children Online: Artificial Intelligence Takes Center Stage

Safe Software and Phones for Children

                                 

 A Global Race to Protect Children Online.. Artificial Intelligence Takes Center Stage

The tech world is witnessing a fierce race to develop AI-powered tools to protect children from digital dangers, amidst new legislation that is tightening the noose on giant tech companies and obligating them to take greater responsibility for the safety of young users.

In Britain, the "Safety Online Act" has come into effect, requiring digital platforms to protect children from inappropriate content, violence, bullying, fraud, and pornography, under penalty of fines that could reach 10% of their global annual revenue.

In the United States, Congress is debating similar legislation that would place social media networks under strict obligations to prevent their products from harming teenagers, according to a report published by CNBC.

Age Verification and the Privacy Debate

In this context, the British company Youty has emerged with an AI-based solution for estimating users' ages using facial recognition technology from selfies, with an accuracy of up to two years for the 13-24 age group.

Other companies, such as Entrust, Persona, and iProof, are also vying for a share of this emerging market. However, these technologies, despite their effectiveness, have raised growing concerns about privacy and the potential for sensitive data leaks.

Safe Phones for Children

Innovation hasn't been limited to software; it has extended to hardware. Finnish company HMD Global has unveiled a new smartphone designed specifically for children, the Fusion X1, powered by algorithms that automatically prevent the sharing or viewing of pornographic or violent images via the camera or apps.

The phone was developed in partnership with the British company SafeToNet, which specializes in child safety.

Tech Companies Under Pressure

Rights groups, most notably the UK's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), assert that the necessary technology already exists and that the ball is now in the court of major tech companies like Google and Meta.

These organizations warn against the continuation of what they describe as an "era of negligence" that has allowed harmful content to proliferate, urging digital platforms to adopt solutions that "protect children without compromising user privacy."