Our tobacco moment? Protecting children online must be built by design – not pursued platform by platform
Child Helpline International is closely following the landmark proceedings brought by 29 US states against Meta, concerning allegations that Facebook and Instagram have used design features that encourage compulsive and excessive use among children and young people. The case forms part of growing scrutiny worldwide of the impact that engagement-driven digital design can have on […]
Bigger, Bolder, Together: Powering the Next Generation of Crisis Support
The announcement on Monday that Crisis Text Line has acquired Aselo marks an important moment for a platform that began with a simple idea: technology for child helplines should be built with child helplines. Aselo was born from the child helpline movement, co-created by Tech Matters with Child Helpline International and our members because we […]
Supporting Children and Young People in an AI-Enabled World
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of children’s everyday lives. For many children and young people, AI tools are already helping with homework, answering questions, sparking creativity and offering new ways to learn. As these technologies become more accessible, they will continue to shape how children seek information, solve problems and engage with the world […]
Childhood Is in Our Hands: Why Global Leadership on Ending Violence Against Children Must Be Protected
Every year, more than 1 billion children experience violence. Behind this number are children facing abuse, exploitation, online violence, corporal punishment, and violence in their homes, schools and communities. Violence against children is not inevitable. It is certainly preventable when there are strong leadership, accountability, sustained investment, and coordinated action across sectors. At Child Helpline […]
Why Child Helplines Are at the Heart of the PoP Principles
When a child is unsafe at home, online spaces may be the only place to ask for help. That sentence should stop all of us in our tracks. For millions of children around the world, the internet is not simply a space for entertainment, education or social connection. It is sometimes the only doorway to safety. The […]
The Epstein Case and a Pattern of Systemic Failure to Protect Children and Young People
Joint Statement from Child Protection Organizations
What continues to emerge are cycles of sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation, upheld by patriarchal structures that treat women and children as objects. This case has exposed, yet again, a system that prioritises power over justice, and perpetrators over victims. At the heart of this are children and young people who were subjected to exploitation, […]
Statement Calling for Ban of Nudify
Child Helpline International Joins Global Call to Ban Nudifying Tools and Protect Children from Exploitation
Amsterdam, Netherlands – Today, on Safer Internet Day, Child Helpline International stands with over 430 public institutions, civil society organisations, companies and individual signatories globally to demand urgent action against nudifying tools, technology designed to create non-consensual nude and abusive imagery, disproportionately targeting children and women. These tools fuel sexual exploitation, extortion, and harm, yet […]
With Thanks to Natasha Jackson!
A Fond Farewell as she steps down from our Supervisory Board
At the end of December 2025, Natasha Jackson completed her second term as a member of our Supervisory Board, the maximum length of service permitted under our governance framework. We’ve been very fortunate to count Natasha as one of our Board members– for both her personal and professional capacities! We could not have asked for […]
Reflections from Rome: Safeguarding Children’s Dignity in the Age of AI
The power and promise of artificial intelligence is one of the defining features of our digital age — but so too are the ethical questions and risks it brings for children and young people. In mid-November, I had the privilege of joining a remarkable gathering of experts, advocates, faith leaders, policymakers and technologists – including […]
World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 – Change the Narrative
Too many young lives are lost to suicide, and it’s getting worse! Youth suicide rates are increasing in North America, Central and Southern America, Asia and Oceania (1). In Europe, youth suicide rates have declined in some, but not all, countries. Suicide is now the third leading cause of death for people aged 15-29 years […]