Protecting Children Online: First G7 Common Principles; UNICEF Welcomes Landmark Agreement

[New York, June 1, 2026] UNICEF today welcomed the landmark agreement reached by G7 Digital and Tech Ministers on common principles for creating a safer digital space for children. This is the first time that the world's largest economies have aligned on a common approach to online child safety. The principles include commitments to ensuring safety and privacy from the design stage of digital services (safety by design), implementing age-appropriate design mechanisms that respect children's rights, recommender systems that prioritize child safety and well-being over engagement, and emergency responses to AI-generated child sexual abuse content. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden stated, 'This is a critical turning point for children. For the first time, the world's largest economies have agreed on a common goal to protect children online. What is needed now is to translate these ambitious principles into concrete obligations for companies.'