Children's rights in the digital environment: current issues of regulation and protection

Abstract

This article examines the legal status of children online through the lens of the exercise and restriction of their information (digital) rights. The author analyzes doctrinal approaches to the concept of children's digital rights, substantiates the appropriateness of using the category "children's rights in the digital environment," and reveals their constitutional and sectoral foundations. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of exercising the rights of minors in the context of digitalization, driven by the priority of protecting the physical, mental, spiritual, and moral development of the child. The paper systematizes the main digital threats faced by children online, including forms of digital abuse, the dissemination of harmful and psychologically traumatic information, and personal data leaks. The role of the state, parents, and digital platforms in ensuring children's information security is analyzed. The conclusions formulate conclusions on the need to further improve legal mechanisms for protecting the rights and interests of children in the digital environment and predict the future development of children's law in the context of digitalization.