CHILDREN AND YOUTH TAKE ACTION: Advocating for technology-based solutions to create safer digital spaces

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Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL), through its projects Creating a Safer Online Environment for Every Child(CONEC), co-funded by the European Union, and Safety for Children and Their Rights Online (SCROL), funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery (Nationale Postcode Loterij), hosted KONEKSYON!: AI-ngatan ang Kabataan, OSAEC ay Wakasan! – The 2025 Children and Youth Summit on Nov. 29–30, 2025, at the Holiday Inn & Suites Manila Galleria, Pasig City, in celebration of this year’s National Children’s Month.

The summit brought together various child- and youth-led groups, key government agencies, civil society organizations, and private institutions to advocate for technology-driven solutions to end online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

Cases of OSAEC in the Philippines continue to rise at an alarming rate, calling for urgent and sustained action. The Disrupting Harm in the Philippines study estimated that in 2021, around 2 million internet users aged 12–17 experienced online sexual abuse and exploitation. By 2023, the Department of Justice – Office of Cybercrime received more than 2.7 million reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to the sharing and selling of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials.

While the enactment of Republic Act No. 11930, or the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Law, was a major step forward, persistent gaps and challenges in its implementation continue to leave children and youth—especially girls and LGBTQIA+ children—vulnerable.

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) add new risks, from deepfakes and synthetic child abuse content to automated algorithms that target and expose children to harmful online material. Without stronger child-centered safeguards, technology could worsen—rather than prevent—these dangers.

“TdH NL believes that children and young people’s voices are essential in promoting responsible use of technology and creating safer, more inclusive digital spaces. Empowering them to actively engage in advocacy and policy-making is key to protecting every child’s right to information, safety, and privacy,” said Anna Abelinde, Philippine country director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands.

At the summit, children and young people developed the Children and Youth’s Position Paper on AI and Online Safety, outlining key policy recommendations and calls for the creation of ethical guidelines for using AI in child protection.

The event also launched the Children and Youth Digital Action Agenda 2026, a collective commitment by children and youth to champion the prevention of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and promote safer online platforms.

Fueling this agenda are the digital campaign plans designed by the participants to raise awareness, engage communities, and advocate for child-friendly and inclusive AI-powered solutions that protect children online.

“Protecting children and adolescents from online sexual abuse requires the engagement of the whole society—from barangays and schools to justice sector and law enforcement institutions. As this phenomenon goes beyond the borders of the Philippines, addressing it requires international cooperation, and the European Union is joining in this fight. In Europe, we are passing robust legislation to combat OSAEC, and EU member states’ law enforcement agencies cooperate with the Philippine authorities. We are also supporting the Philippines’ own initiatives by working with government institutions to strengthen their implementation of the anti-OSAEC law and contributing to civil society projects like CONEC,” added Dr. Marco Gemmer, head of cooperation at the European Union Delegation to the Philippines.

Projects CONEC and SCROL aim to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation by strengthening national and local child protection systems.

Co-funded by the European Union, CONEC focuses on collaboration with children, youth, communities, civil society, government agencies, and service providers.

SCROL, funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, engages in campaigns, policy advocacy, and private sector engagement to ensure the safety and rights of children online.

Both projects are implemented by Terre des Hommes Netherlands, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to preventing and stopping all forms of child exploitation, including online and offline sexual exploitation of children, child labor, and child trafficking.

TdH NL implements these initiatives in partnership with Bidlisiw Foundation and Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT).