Children are a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to online protection, as was highlighted at the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference in May 2023. This article examines the issue in more detail, including the use of online gaming and social media. It aims to question who is responsible for children’s safety online and the importance of digital literacy education as a protective measure.

In the fall of 2023, the European Union (EU) is on the brink of finalising the world’s first comprehensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) law, a potential milestone that could establish the global benchmark for regulating the use of AI technologies. From AI lie detectors, automated decision-making, and risk assessment to tech surveillance systems at European borders, AI-powered technologies are increasingly becoming part of migration management and control in the EU [1]. While migrants face a multitude of pressing issues such as housing and access to health care, their fundamental right to privacy and data protection often takes a back seat, rendering them susceptible to experimentation with high-risk AI technologies. Consequently, it is imperative that the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) explicitly addresses the implications of AI systems on people on the move. Bringing together exponents from European institutions, the private sector and civil society, the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference offered a comprehensive and multi-faceted insight into this issue. Drawing from the panel discussion and an exclusive interview with Alyna Smith, a member of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), the following sections will first delve into the impact of AI systems on migrants and then assess the role of EU regulations in protecting digital rights of vulnerable categories. 

Last year, CPDP (Computers, Privacy and Data Protection) and The Security Distillery worked together on a partnership to bring 7 students from the International Masters in Intelligence, Security and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) to the CPDP conference, which took place from 23-25 May 2022. The students participated as the Security Distillery and were tasked with reporting on the conference.