Nordic organisations come together to ensure children’s rights in tech policy

Today, organisations from several of the Nordic countries come together and launch a Nordic Network to ensure child-centered tech policy. NOCTA, the Nordic Child Tech Policy Alliance is currently consisting of six organisations from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, who all have a strong focus on enhancing children’s rights in the digital sphere. By uniting they can now strengthen the voice of the children in decisions made by national governments, the EU and relevant international players.  

According to the United Nation’s General Comment no. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment, the rights of every child must be respected, protected and fulfilled in the digital environment just as in the physical. When children’s rights and voices are not actively incorporated into decisions, they are often overlooked, and their rights and agency undermined. 

Therefore, in today’s polarized debates around children’s digital presence, a strong, independent, and child-centred voice is needed more than ever before.    

In the start of the 2020’s there have been a growing number of indicators of children’s challenges such as mental health challenges, eating disorders, extremism, fake news and grooming for sexual purposes occurring on and exacerbated by online services provided by tech companies. This is supported by various national child hotlines data, where a substantial proportion of calls received was directly or indirectly about children’s digital lives. This is a trend we need to counteract. 

The Nordic countries share history, culture, values, and have a similar perspective on children and their rights. This includes values concerning the importance of all of children’s rights, that children are not a homogenous group, the welfare system as well as regulating commercial services. 

To strengthen and transmit this view on children´s rights, we need to work together. Therefore, we are today proud to announce the launch of NOCTA as a way of meeting these issues and ensuring a strong child rights perspective in decisions made by national governments, the EU and relevant international players – for every child´s right to be respected, protected and fulfilled. 
 
NOCTA consists of several organisations from the Nordic Countries:  
Barnevakten 
Bris  
Børns Vilkår 
Digitalt ansvar 
Prinsparets Stiftelse 
UNICEF Sverige 

About the organisations:  

Barnevakten 
Barnevakten is a Norwegian, independent foundation that provides facts and advice about children and the media. Their vision is that children should use the media in a safe and conscious way. Read more on: www.barnevakten.no  
 
Bris  
Bris stands for Children’s Rights in Society, and are a children’s rights organization. They work for a society where all children know their rights and have the possibility to fulfill them! Read more on: www.bris.se  
 
Børns Vilkår 
Børns Vilkår is a Danish children’s rights organization and runs the national child helpline with over 60.000 conversations each year. Børns Vilkår has for the past years worked to protect children’s rights online nationally and in the EU. Read more on: bornsvilkar.dk  
 
Digitalt ansvar 
Digitalt ansvar (Digital Responsibility) was created to promote responsible digital development that protects our fundamental rights. It is about the right to privacy and a life free from violence, harassment and surveillance. Read more on: www.digitaltansvar.dk  
 
Prinsparets Stiftelse 
Prinsparets Stiftelse is a Swedish foundation founded in 2015 by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. The foundation’s mission is to promote a safer internet for children, as well as increased understanding for everyone with dyslexia. Read more on: prinsparetsstiftelse.se  
 
UNICEF Sverige 
UNICEF, the United Nations organization for children, works globally to protect the rights and well-being of every child. UNICEF Sweden is one of 32 national committees, dedicated to supporting UNICEF’s mission by mobilizing resources, influencing Swedish decision-makers, and raising awareness about children’s rights. Learn more at www.unicef.se