ABSTRACT
Self-regulation seems better adapted than traditional legislation to fast-changing, complex environments and could thus help achieve important policy goals in the social networking services (SNS) environment. Policies aimed at a safer Internet for children, with a view to minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities, have over the past 15 years put significant emphasis on the use of alternative regulatory instruments such as self- and co-regulation. This chapter discusses the implementation of self-regulation to protect children and young people on social networks, and identifies the implications of non-compliance by SNS providers from a children's rights perspective. In February 2009, a number of SNS providers subscribed to a self-regulatory charter titled Safer Social Networking Principles for the European Union (EU) following a public consultation on online social networking by the European Commission. The SNS providers have committed themselves to self-regulatory mechanisms such as the Safer Social Networking Principles (SSNP) for the EU, the CEO Coalition and the information and communication technologies (ICT) Coalition.
