Here's how we make the internet safer for children.

Byline: Joanna Rubinstein

This year the World Wide Web celebrates its 30th anniversary. In that time, the internet has transformed every facet of our lives, from how we learn and work, to stimulating economic growth and increasing access to markets.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified convention in the world. As we mark both birthdays, it is important to take stock of how this transformational technology impacts children. There are many benefits: it provides children with access to information, education and entertainment, and serves as a great communication tool. But like any technology, it can be misused and expose children to risk and harm. We have to ask ourselves, is the digital world today a safe environment for children?

Today, more than 50% of the world's children experience violence every year. In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all the world's nations, representing a global commitment to a better future for all. SDG 16.2 calls for an end to all forms of violence against children by 2030; target 9.C calls for the expansion of broadband to reach the unconnected in the developing world where most of the world's children live.

In order to achieve these two targets, we urgently need to prioritize children's safety online. Every day, children are exposed to more atrocities online and we learn how connectivity enables the violation of children's rights. It is our duty to find a way to keep our children safer online without denying them access to the benefits of the digital world.

What are we doing to keep children safer online?

Some countries have put in place a regulatory framework to control the online space that's similar to the regulation of offline spaces. The UK and Australia lead the race in protecting children online. They have developed a safe per design and by default code that companies must follow, created child-friendly terms and conditions and appointed special commissioners in charge of protecting children's rights in the digital space.

Experts in the field have developed different initiatives and tools to guide countries and companies' decision-making processes towards a safer online space. Some of these initiatives are the WePROTECT Model of National Response framework and the Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP), developed by Save the Children, UNICEF and UN Global Compact, and the ITU's Child...