Adopted at the 44th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, this policy offers a comprehensive framework for protecting children under 18 in Africa’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. With children now making up a large proportion of internet users, and risks growing in parallel, the policy responds to the critical need for a safe, empowering digital environment. It outlines guiding principles rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, such as prioritizing the best interest of the child, inclusion, non-discrimination, and child participation.

This Policy tackles key risks categorised under the 4Cs: content, contact, conduct, and contract—and offers strategic objectives focused on legal frameworks, institutional capacity, privacy protection, education, corporate responsibility, victim support, public awareness, and international cooperation. The policy emphasizes a multi-stakeholder, whole-of-society approach to implementation, urging governments, the private sector, and civil society to work together. Key recommendations include creating national action plans, child-centric legislation, awareness campaigns, hotlines, and an African Child Online Resource Fund. It aims to ensure that Africa’s digital future is safe, inclusive, and empowering for the continent’s youngest citizens.