Children have rights online
Their right to protection exists alongside their rights to information, participation, education, play, privacy and expression.
A global public-interest initiative for a better digital future
The Child-Friendly Internet Manifesto
The Internet should
adapt to children.
A global commitment to make childhood visible in the design of the digital world.
Published by the Child-Friendly Internet Initiative
01 — Our declaration
Children should not carry the full burden of adapting to an Internet designed for adults.
Children learn, connect, create and grow online. The Internet is part of childhood—but childhood was never placed at the centre of its design.
We believe digital environments should recognise children’s rights, developmental needs and evolving capabilities. Safety, age-appropriateness and wellbeing should be part of the Internet’s foundations, not optional settings that families must discover and manage alone.
“A child-friendly Internet is not a smaller version of the adult Internet. It is a digital environment designed to support childhood itself.”
02 — What we believe
Design shapes experience
The defaults, incentives and architecture of digital systems materially affect children’s opportunities and wellbeing.
Responsibility is shared
Governments, networks, services, schools, communities and families each hold part of the solution.
Privacy and safety belong together
Children can receive appropriate digital experiences without unnecessarily exposing who they are.
03 — Our principles
Four commitments for a child-friendly Internet
Safe by Design
Safety must be built into digital environments from the beginning—not added only after harm occurs.
Age-Appropriate by Design
Experiences should respond to children’s evolving capabilities, needs and rights.
Digital Wellbeing by Design
Technology should support agency, balance, healthy development and meaningful participation.
Child Digital Autonomy
Protection should progressively give way to confidence, choice and independence as children mature.
04 — A system that adapts
Protection should follow the child’s context—without following the child.
A privacy-preserving child-assurance signal can help networks and digital services provide an appropriate experience without unnecessarily revealing a child’s identity.
The experience should remain coherent as a child moves between cellular networks, home Wi-Fi, school networks and public Wi-Fi. Digital services should be able to respond with safer search, suitable content modes, learning access and wellbeing settings.
- Share only the minimum context required
- Maintain continuity across places and networks
- Enable services to respond appropriately by design
- Preserve children’s privacy, dignity and growing autonomy
Technology can demonstrate that this is feasible. The initiative remains technology-neutral and focused on public benefit.
05 — A call to action
Let us build an Internet that sees childhood—and responds with care.
We invite governments, telecom operators, technology companies, digital services, educators, researchers, child-rights organisations, parents and young people to turn these principles into policy, infrastructure, products and everyday practice.
Children shouldn’t have to adapt to the Internet.
The Internet should adapt to children.