Toolkit launched to protect child influencers
These are children that post content online via social media accounts that may generate economic gain in the form of monetary payments or goods.
It often occurs through sponsorships, product placements or paid adverts, where the parents are approached by a brand or agency to promote a product or experience.
The 'Kids as Content' Digital Safeguarding Toolkit is designed to protect children in the digital space.
It is a guide for parents, industry professionals, and policymakers focussing on considerations such as child labour risks when it comes to payments.
The toolkit also examines health and safety concerns, as well as risks linked to family, identity, education and dignity.
It is based on the research of Dr Francis Rees, Co-ordinator for the Child Influencer Project and a Lecturer in Law at the University of Essex.
"The project has identified basic workplace risks such as children not having the same entitlements to access their money," Dr Rees said.
"They also wouldn't go through the normal health and safety assessments or know their working hours."
"It is about getting parents to take a beat and think about what they are posting, how they are framing the child, and also to think about their own bargaining positions with brands and agencies who should be paying them properly for this work," she added.
The toolkit was launched today at the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.
The Ombudsman, Dr Niall Muldoon, believes new laws may be needed to protect child influencers.
"If they were child actors, there would be all sorts of regulations, we have advertising standards when it comes to health and safety, remuneration, hours of work and education to make sure the child is protected at all times," Dr Muldoon said.
"That's not in this sphere and we need to start upping our game and looking at the legislation around that," he added.
There are also concerns about the negative comments, exposure to harmful content and unwanted followers that can come with being a child influencer.
Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the ISPCC said laws are being developed in other countries to protect child influencers.
"We need to close a legislative gap that is there at the moment," Ms Jennings said.
"Invariably this type of work happens within the home space and it can be difficult for a child to understand what is family life when it drifts into child influencing," she added.
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