As children across Africa increasingly access digital technologies for learning, communication, and participation, they are also exposed to growing online risks, including abuse, exploitation, harmful content, and data misuse. While many African countries have adopted laws, policies, and strategies aimed at protecting children online, significant gaps remain between policy commitments and the realities of implementation, enforcement, and accountability.

This session will examine the current child online safety landscape in Africa, focusing on the disconnect between legal and policy frameworks, institutional capacity, and lived experiences of children. It will bring together different stakeholders to assess what is working, what is failing, and why. Key discussions will address government responsibility, platform accountability, and the role of schools, parents, and communities in safeguarding children online.

Through a rights-based and child-centred lens, the session will highlight practical approaches to strengthening coordination, accountability, and implementation while ensuring that child online safety measures respect children’s rights to privacy, access to information, and participation in digital spaces.