Skip to main content

We do research in local environments

Giving insight in local digital children’s rights

This Digital Child Rights Check is based on the General Comment 25 of the United Nations. Every country and therefore every municipality must comply with all children’s rights; also in the digital world. Each ‘comment’ is translated into several questions for a municipality and public organization.

This Check is intended to provide a first insight into what you think is the status of children’s rights in the digital world of a district, city or village in a country. By doing the Check you immediately gain insight into what the (local) government or a public organization should improve in terms of children’s rights in the digital world. This Digital Child Rights Check consist of 10 themes and 40 questions:

Digital Child Rights Check

EVERYBODY

In the digital world, all children and young people must be able to participate properly. 

  • Are there always enough computers, laptops and/or mobile phones available for all children/young people in your environment? 

  • Can all children/young people in your environment go online sufficiently, even if they don’t have that much money? 

  • Can all children/young people with a disability in your environment also be sufficiently active online thanks to, for example, adapted websites with larger letters or listening to text? 

  • Are all children/young people in your environment treated equally in the digital world and can everyone participate online without any problems and discrimination? 

CHANCES

In the digital world, all children and young people must be able to develop properly. 

  • Can all children/young people in your environment always learn enough in the online world and do they always understand all websites, apps, social media and games well? 

  • Can all children/young people in your environment, thanks to the use of websites, apps, social media and games, develop sufficiently and do they get enough opportunities as a result?

  • Can all children/young people in your environment play online enough and be creative thanks to websites, apps, social media and games?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment sufficiently helped online by adults, especially if they are having a hard time?

FAIR

The digital world must be easy to understand for children and young people and their interests must always come first. 

  • Do you think that the interests of all children/young people in your environment always come first when you look at websites, social media, apps and games they use? 

  • Do you think that all online information on websites, social media, apps and games for children/young people in your environment is sufficiently accurate and is always appropriate for their age? 

  • Are children/young people in your environment active online without being bullied or sexually abused via websites, social media, apps or games? 

  • Can children/young people in your environment go online without being used by organizations for their own benefit?

OPINION

In the digital world, all children and young people must be able to participate well and express their opinion safely. 

  • Can all children/young people in your environment always participate online and give their own opinion via websites, social media, apps or games?

  • Do you think that online organizations (adults) always listen sufficiently to the opinion of all children/young people in your environment?

  • Do you think that organizations sufficiently involve children/young people in your environment when they create websites, social media, apps or games for children/young people?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment sufficiently free to always share their opinions and thoughts via websites, social media, apps or games?

FREEDOM

In the digital world, all children and young people should be free to think, believe and do anything. 

  • Can all children/young people in your environment always do what they want online and do they have sufficient guidance from adults?

  • Is there always sufficient respect online for all children/young people in your environment; without hate, bullying or threats of violence?

  • Can all children/young people in your environment be active online without being deliberately influenced by organizations in a smart digital way?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment allowed to meet each other sufficiently online via, for example, websites, social media, apps or games?

ACTIVE

In the digital world, all children and young people should be able to have fun and learn well. 

  • Do you think there are sufficient safe digital learning environments (websites and apps) at school for all children/young people in your environment?

  • Can all children/young people in your environment relax sufficiently in their free time by playing online and by being digitally engaged in art and culture?

  • Can all children/young people in your environment be sufficiently active online, without gambling or working online when they are still too young?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment properly and sufficiently supervised online by adults?

HEALTHY

The digital world must be good for all children and young people for their mental and physical health.

  • Is there always enough online information available about the own health of all children/young people in your municipality, so that GPs, for example, can take good care of them?

  • Is the digital information about the health of all children/young people in your municipality always treated with sufficient confidentiality?

  • Is there sufficient reliable information available online for all children/young people in your municipality regarding their physical and mental health?

  • Do you think that all children/young people in your municipality think enough about how long they spend behind their screens per day and also rest, sleep and move enough?

PRIVACY

In the digital world, it must be clear to all children and young people that there is sufficient privacy. 

  • Do all children/young people in your environment have sufficient control over the use of their own official name when they are active online, without others misusing this name?

  • Do all children/young people in your environment always know enough about what is being done online with their personal data by the owners of websites, social media, apps or games?

  • Do all children/young people in your environment sufficiently understand the information about their privacy when they use websites, social media, apps or games?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment always sufficiently aware of what they share about themselves online, without getting into trouble?

SAFE

In the digital world, all children and young people must be adequately protected and safe. 

  • Do you think that all children/young people in your environment have sufficient online protection and that websites, apps, social media and games are always safe?

  • Do all children/young people in your environment always receive sufficient help immediately if they experience something unpleasant or dangerous online?

  • Do you think that all children/young people in your environment always sufficiently understand the online protection on websites, social media, apps and games and can also use it well?

  • Is the real age of children/young people in your environment sufficiently checked online by organizations so that they can properly protect children/young people?

RULES

In the digital world, everyone, including all children and young people, must properly deal with all rights and rules. 

  • Do you think that the digital rights of all children/young people in your environment are sufficiently explained in understandable language via websites, social media or apps,…?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment always sufficiently protected against false accusations because smart techniques are used?

  • Are all children/young people in your environment always sufficiently protected against online abuse by companies because they are forced to work, for example?

  • Do you think that all children/young people in your environment, if they do something wrong online, are punished in a way that is appropriate for their age?

Explore our Check for developers

In our Lab we use a special Child Rights Check for young developers.

Info