Overview
The COR Sandbox, or Child Online Redress Sandbox, is a global, first-of-its-kind initiative designed to strengthen how children are protected and supported online. It brings together child helplines, policymakers, regulators, digital platforms, researchers, and children themselves to co-design practical solutions for safer digital environments.
Funded by Safe Online, the project focuses on developing a regulatory sandbox for child online safety and redress, a structured space where innovative approaches to digital safety can be tested, refined, and scaled without regulatory risk.
Why It Matters
Children and young people are increasingly exposed to online harms, including abuse, exploitation, and harmful content. While reporting and response systems exist, they are often fragmented, inconsistent, or difficult for children to navigate.
The COR Sandbox addresses this gap by creating a coordinated, child rights-based approach to online redress, ensuring that when harm occurs, children can access effective, timely, and appropriate support.
What Is A Sandbox?
A regulatory sandbox is a collaborative environment where stakeholders can safely test new ideas, tools, and processes before wider implementation.
In the context of child online safety, this means:
- Testing reporting and escalation pathways
- Exploring how platforms and services respond to harm
- Co-designing solutions with children and young people
- Aligning responses across sectors and jurisdictions
Sandboxes are already widely used in sectors such as finance and are increasingly being applied to digital regulation and AI governance.
What the COR Sandbox Does
The COR Sandbox project aims to:
- Co-design child-centred reporting and redress systems with young people
- Test practical solutions with platforms, regulators, and service providers
- Strengthen coordination between helplines, industry, and public authorities
- Develop scalable models and standards for child online safety
- Inform policy and regulatory frameworks, including implementation of instruments such as the Digital Services Act
At its core, the project seeks to ensure that children’s experiences and rights are embedded in how digital safety systems are designed and implemented.
Project consortium
Child Helpline International and the other consortium partners gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided for the COR Sandbox project by Safe Online.
