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 […]
Working Together So That Nobody Faces a Crisis Alone
Every minute, every day, somewhere in the world, someone reaches out for help. Sometimes it is an adult experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crisis. Sometimes it is a child seeking safety, support or simply someone who will listen. Different helplines answer those calls. Different organizations support those services. But behind them lies a shared belief: […]
Beyond the Call: Nine Years of Advocacy for Children in Pakistan
Every day, child helplines hear the stories behind the statistics. They hear from children who have disappeared from home, who have been trafficked or exploited, who are forced to work or beg, or who find themselves living on the streets without protection or support. They hear from families desperately searching for missing children. They witness […]
Helping Shape Africa’s Future for Child Protection
How can Africa build even stronger systems to protect children – both online and offline? That question brought together governments, children’s rights organizations, technical experts and young people themselves at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 16–17 July 2026, for the ARISE Africa II Validation Meeting. Representing Child Helpline International was African […]
CHI Welcomes Recommendations Placing Children’s Rights and Platform Responsibility at the Centre of Online Safety
Child Helpline International (CHI) was honoured to participate in the Special Panel appointed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to advise the EU on next steps regarding online child safety and potential age restrictions on accessing social media. Today, the co-chairs of the Special Panel have issued a comprehensive set of recommendations drawing […]
Child helplines urge Irish EU Presidency to secure the future of Europe’s Safer Internet Centres
AMSTERDAM – Child Helpline International (CHI), INHOPE and Insafe, together with 26 organizations from 19 EU Member States and two neighbouring countries, are calling on the Irish Presidency and all EU institutions to help secure the future of Europe’s Safer Internet Centres. For more than two decades, Safer Internet Centres have been an integral part […]
La Strada-Ukraine: Professionalism, Resilience and Extraordinary Commitment
In recent days, Kyiv has endured devastating missile and drone attacks, with lives lost, many people injured, and homes and buildings across the city damaged. Among those affected is our member, La Strada-Ukraine. During an overnight Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv on 1-2 July, the blast wave from a nearby strike damaged La […]
Joint Statement on potential age restrictions for children to access social media
Child rights organizations and experts unite to call on the EU to steer away from social media bans
BRUSSELS – Ahead of the third meeting of the Special Panel advising President Ursula Von Der Leyen on a potential social media ban in the EU, more than 170 child rights organizations and experts across Europe have joined forces to call for a more nuanced and rights-based approach. Since last year, and inspired in part […]