Protecting children in cyberspace: Canada’s lessons for Vietnam

Canada’s issuance of a privacy code specifically for children highlights a shifting trend in responsibility for ensuring safety in the digital environment from families to service platforms.

Speaking to the press in Ottawa, Nguyen Thanh Phong, founder of the AI training platform 3Labs, assesses that this approach fits the requirements of protecting children in the digital space. According to him, the core point places responsibility squarely on platforms, compelling businesses to proactively identify risks, design safe products, and submit to supervision by specialized regulatory bodies.

However, he notes that age verification remains a major practical challenge. Relying solely on bans allows children to find ways around barriers. Therefore, policies must combine privacy-respecting age verification technology, enforcement capacity by management agencies, and digital literacy education for both children and parents.

Phong proposed applying the principle that higher risks entail greater protection duties, alongside enhancing the transparency of content recommendation algorithms, labeling AI-generated content, and establishing support protocols for young users facing crises. While AI technology can assist in detecting malicious content, critical decisions still require human moderation.

He emphasizes that age verification must not lead to the excessive collection and retention of personal data. Independent monitoring mechanisms, transparent decision-making processes, and clear grievance systems are vital conditions for balancing online safety with privacy rights.

These assessments come as Canada steadily refines its digital child protection framework. On October 20, the country released its first children's privacy code, guiding organizations on processing children's personal data under current laws. The code emphasizes providing age-appropriate information, enabling children to request the correction or deletion of their personal data, and defaulting location tracking and data sharing with third parties to off.

According to Phong, Canada's experience offers valuable approaches for Vietnam as it develops technological autonomy. Resolution No. 57 issued on December 22, 2024, by the Politburo outlines strategic directions for breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation. During implementation, prioritizing the protection of young users must run parallel with promoting innovation.

To materialize this direction in digital safety for children, he proposed assigning a competent and well-equipped specialized agency to supervise the sector, binding cross-border platforms to legal responsibilities in detecting and handling toxic content targeting users in Vietnam, coupled with deterrent penalties.

He also recommended promptly building a responsible AI governance framework, encompassing both closed-source and open-source large language models deployed in Vietnam, while integrating digital skills education and personal data protection awareness into school curricula nationwide.

According to him, laws and technology achieve sustainable effectiveness only when users, particularly children, possess the capacity to identify risks, safeguard personal information, and seek support when needed. Consequently, enhancing self-protection capacity must go hand in hand with reinforcing platform accountability and management agencies’ supervision capacity.

Role of online platforms in protecting children from cybercrime highlighted

A sideline discussion on the role of online platforms in protecting children and adolescents from cybercrime took place in Hanoi on October 25, drawing representatives from government agencies, international organisations, technology platforms, and the creator community.

Event highlights safe digital habits in protecting children online

Child protection on the internet must start with forming safe online habits, remarked Nguyen Hong Quan, director of the training centre under the Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05), at a recent awareness-raising event held in Hanoi.