We; parents, teachers, child protection advocates, civil society leaders, and citizens from every corner of Africa urgently petition the African Union: Turn your promises into unbreakable protections for our children in the digital world.

The Crisis Is Exploding – Our Children Are Paying the Price

Across Africa, children as young as 8–10 are handed smartphones and plunged into addictive platforms designed to exploit them. The results are devastating and accelerating:

• Cyberbullying has surged – two-thirds of children worldwide report it increasing dramatically, with AI fueling new harms like deepfakes and grooming at scale. 
• Sextortion and online sexual exploitation are skyrocketing, targeting boys and girls alike, often escalating to blackmail in minutes. 
• Exposure to violent, sexual, or harmful content is routine – in South Africa alone, 43% of children encounter violent material online, and 67% of those seeing sexual images first meet it digitally. These aren't rare tragedies. UNICEF and regional reports document rising cases in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and beyond. Heavy social media use links directly to anxiety, depression, lower self-esteem, sleep disruption, and attention problems robbing our young people of focus, joy, and mental health. Families fight alone against trillion-dollar tech giants that profit from children's attention and vulnerability.  Our children cannot consent to systems engineered to manipulate them.
  Africa Has the Tools – Now We Must Use Them The African Union has already declared children must come first:
• The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child demands protection from all abuse, exploitation, and harmful practices – putting the child's best interests above all.
• The groundbreaking AU Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy (adopted 2024) making Africa the world's first region with a dedicated continental framework calls for safety-by-design, privacy safeguards, age-appropriate protections, and balanced empowerment.
  The AU Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030) envisions a trusted, inclusive digital Africa where no child is left behind or harmed.
  Unrestricted access for young children to high-risk platforms violates these commitments. With the world moving – Australia banned under-16s in 2025, Nigeria is consulting on age limits now, and others follow – Africa can pioneer a child-centered digital future, not react to one.

Our Urgent, Achievable Demands to the AU

1. By 2027: Adopt a binding AU Protocol or Model Law establishing a minimum age of 16 for social media access. Mandate effective, privacy-respecting age assurance suited to African realities, plus child- and safety-by-design standards for all platforms. Allow national flexibility within this strong continental floor.
2. By 2028: Launch an African eSafety Commission to harmonize standards, support national regulators, hold tech companies accountable, monitor harms, and enforce remedies – turning AU policy into real protection.
3. 2026–2030: Mobilize continent-wide action – massive digital literacy investments for children, parents, and educators; bold awareness campaigns; integration of online safety into schools, health, and protection systems; and balanced empowerment with firm enforcement.
   This Is Our Moment  Imagine a continent where African children learn, connect, and thrive online safely. Where families reclaim control. Where Africa leads globally in honoring the child’s right to a childhood free from exploitation.

We cannot wait for another tragedy. Existing AU commitments demand action today. Sign this petition to tell the AU Chairperson, Commission, and Member States: Protect our children now. Make Africa the global model for child online safety.

Sign and share: because every child's future is on the line.