The Group of Seven (G7) leaders on Wednesday issued a statement calling for a safer digital environment for children and setting out key actions to achieve that goal as the summit in France concluded.
"We, the leaders of the G7, are committed to providing a safe digital space for our minors, which include children and youth under 18, for their development, for their education and for their well-being," the statement noted.
Aside from the G7 states, the call was also supported by Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya and South Korea.
The statement stressed the need for children and youth's online experience to be safe, enriching and development-focused.
"Digital service providers have the important role and opportunity to provide digital platforms which are safe-by-design, secure, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate and protective of children and youth, including by default settings," it said.
The leader raised concerns regarding the risks posed by such digital services, alerting that minors could be exposed to illegal and age-inappropriate content harmful to their mental health.
The statement called on all governments, digital service providers, public authorities and relevant stakeholders to prioritize the protection of minors' physical and mental health, privacy and safety online.
"We call on digital service providers to develop and apply technology and systems that ensure safe, secure and age-appropriate experiences, including through effective and innovative age assurance mechanisms while preserving the privacy of users according to respective jurisdictions, national circumstances and applicable legal frameworks," the statement added.