FTC chair and delegations urge balanced online protections for children
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Summary
At the summit’s final session, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson and international delegates urged tailored rules and parental-empowerment approaches to protect children’s data and guard against deepfakes and exploitation online.
Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, opened the summit’s session on online safety by arguing that children deserve different online and data rules than adults and warning against regulations that would displace parental authority. "The goal of child online safety must be to empower parents, not to replace them," Ferguson said, and urged balanced regulatory approaches that do not unnecessarily stifle beneficial innovation.
Ferguson cited U.S. legislation described in the panel—referred to during remarks as the "Take It Down Act" addressing nonconsensual intimate imagery and deepfakes—and called on nations to pursue "pro‑parent" policies that confront harms without sacrificing access to information. Multiple delegations described national legal and programmatic responses: Ghana highlighted its "Safer Digital Ghana" campaign and strengthened protections; Israel’s delegation discussed psychological harms and the need for adult oversight; Kenya emphasized a Children's Act and a national AI strategy anchored in ethics.
Speakers called for a combined approach: stronger laws, dedicated helplines, education for parents and teachers, rapid takedown mechanisms, and public‑private cooperation with technology firms. Delegates also raised concerns about enforcement capacity and the need for interagency coordination to investigate digital crimes.
No multilateral legal instrument was agreed; the panel concluded with a call for continued sharing of best practices and technical coordination between regulators, education ministries and child-protection agencies.
