Dear Recep Baydemir,

Disinformation has been growing rapidly in online social media recently, and it is also targeting children and young people. The disinformation includes many unreliable advertisements for various products and services aimed at children. But also in social media there are many other threats such as pedophilia, violence, deepfake using the image of children and other kinds of serious threats. Increasingly, social media generation of disinformation, fake news, deepfake, etc. uses applications available on the Internet equipped with generative artificial intelligence technology. As a result, the generation of disinformation and various types of threats targeting children and young people as well has become easy, and there is a lot of it on the Internet. Legal norms have not kept pace with the technological advances taking place regarding the emergence of more and more generations of AI technology and its applications.

Protecting children and young people from the dangers of misinformation, fake news, deepfakes, violence and pedophilia on social media requires complex, multifaceted measures. Education, technology, regulation and the involvement of parents and guardians play a key role in this process. Protecting children and young people from online threats such as misinformation, fake news, deepfakes, violence and pedophilia requires complex actions based on education, technology, legal regulations and parental involvement. Developing children's digital competence through educational programs and social campaigns that teach critical thinking and how to recognize fake news is crucial. Parental control tools, AI filters to detect inappropriate content, and identity authentication mechanisms that limit anonymity online also play an important role. Strict regulations, including accountability for creating deepfakes and spreading misinformation, can significantly improve online security. Social media platforms should also be required to actively moderate content, and ads targeting children must be strictly regulated. Also key in this process is the involvement of parents, who should monitor their children's online activity and talk to them about the risks.

I would like to invite you to join me in this research collaboration,

My warmest greetings,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Thank you Recep Baydemir for raising this critical and timely issue. The growing exposure of children to harmful online content including paedophilia, cyberbullying, and violent media, calls for urgent, multi-sectoral intervention. Education alone is insufficient unless backed by robust digital safety policies, effective content moderation, and child-centric legal frameworks. Internationally, efforts like the EU’s Digital Services Act and COPPA in the United States serve as models, but global alignment and context specific policies like Turkey’s BTK regulations are necessary. In addition, empowering children through digital literacy education, enhancing parental digital competence, and investing in ethical tech development are key. Social scientists must continue producing data-driven research to inform policies that are both protective and rights-respecting. I welcome further dialogue on collaborative, cross-border solutions to ensure a safer digital environment for children everywhere.

Dear Navonita Mallick,

Thank you very much for participating in the discussion and expressing your views. It has really been quite useful.

One of the countries I am curious about this issue is your country India. Well, how is the situation in India? Is this issue on the agenda in your country or are steps being taken towards this?