AI, Children and Age-Appropriate Digital Participation
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Join Us in Dakar
Governments, technology companies, civil society, researchers, development partners and young people meet in Dakar to shape a safer, more inclusive digital future for children.
The Dakar Declaration
A key outcome of the Summit will be the Dakar Declaration, capturing shared priorities and recommendations on AI, children and age-appropriate digital participation, alongside broader child online safety priorities.
Learn MoreAfrican Renaissance Monument, Dakar · Photo: Tafsir207 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Summit overview
The 3rd Africa Child Online Safety Summit will bring together governments, technology companies, civil society, researchers, development partners and young people to explore emerging challenges and opportunities shaping children's digital lives.
Convened by the Africa Child Online Safety Alliance (ACOSA) in partnership with Polaris Asso, Senegal, the Summit builds on previous editions held in Addis Ababa (2024) and Nairobi (2025).
Two key conversations
AI and children
Exploring the opportunities and risks of AI for children, including AI-generated abuse, deepfakes, grooming, privacy and manipulation, alongside safety by design, AI literacy, children's data protection and responsible AI governance.
The under-16 question
Examining the implications of age-based restrictions for child safety, rights, privacy, inclusion, access to information and age assurance, with a focus on African realities.
A broader programme
Roundtables, expert sessions and interactive conversations on emerging and continuing child online safety issues across Africa. The detailed programme will be published here.
New child online safety reports and research.
Practical tools shown by the people who built them.
Focused conversations across sectors.
What protective frameworks should look like.
Emerging approaches to safer digital spaces.
Young people shaping the conversation.
Connections that last beyond the summit.
Want to Speak, Demo or Launch Research?
Tell UsFrom dialogue to action
A key outcome of the Summit will be the Dakar Declaration, capturing shared priorities and recommendations on AI, children and age-appropriate digital participation, alongside broader child online safety priorities.
We invite governments, technology companies, civil society, researchers, development partners, regulators and young people to participate, contribute evidence, showcase solutions and help shape the conversation.
