Policy, Practice, and Futures A report on the actions arising from the third Digital Childhoods Summit
This report synthesises discussions from the Digital Childhoods Summit, held in Canberra on 27-28 May 2026. Both the Summit and this report are initiatives of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (Digital Child), aimed at producing agreed actions for supporting children in the digital world.
AUTHORS Cassandra Pattinson, Kristy Corser, Rebecca Ng, Danica Hendry, Andy Zhao, Janelle Mackenzie, Tara Roberson and Simon Smith SUGGESTED CITATION Pattinson, C.L., Corser, K., Ng, R., Hendry, D., Zhao, A., Mackenzie, J., Roberson, T., and Smith, S. on behalf of the Digital Child (2026). Policy, Practice, and Futures: A Report of the Actions Arising from the Third Annual Digital Childhoods Summit 2026. ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. DOI: 10.5204/eprints.268380 DOI 10.5204/eprints.268380 KEYWORDS Digital childhoods; Children and the internet COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2026 Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. This is an open-access report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY 4.0).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (grant #CE200100022). The Centre and authors acknowledge the First Nations owners of the lands on which we gather and pay our respects to the Elders, lores, customs, and creation spirits of this country.
Contents Actions for digital childhood sectors in Australia...........5 Summary - Identifying actions for digital childhoods............7 Introduction............9 Organisations............11 Program summary............13 Panel 1: Inclusion and opportunities - Child participation and equity.............15 Panel 2: Privacy and safety - Protection by design.............17 Panel 3: Digital pathways - From evidence to resources.............19 Panel 4: Messaging and media - Making communication work.............21 Breakout sessions.............23 What could these actions look like in practice?............27
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Actions for digital childhood sectors in Australia Establish standards of best-practice models of child inclusion Develop national digital inclusion and literacy program for caregivers and children Encourage a broader range of child and youth representation Coordinate a sustained cross-sector advocacy effort to compel platforms to embed safety-by-design Develop practical implementation guidance that translates the “best interest of the child” principle Build confidence with artificial intelligence to understand the risks, use it well, and focus on human skills Establish pathways of evidence-based translation from research through to policy, practice, and impact Develop a Digital Child Roadmap for stakeholders and partners Build a sustainable Digital Child network Build sustained, reciprocal relationships with young collaborators Bring a playful mindset to your work with children and young people
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Summary Identifying actions for digital childhoods The Digital Childhoods Summit is a national forum that brings together leaders from government, industry, research and the community sector to improve children’s digital lives and wellbeing. Now in its third year, the Summit has produced tangible outputs for attendees. Each event is followed by a report that captures key insights and agreed actions. The program for the 2026 Digital Childhoods Summit was shaped by the input from a steering committee comprising experts from the Digital Child Partner Organisations including, Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, UNICEF, Telstra Foundation, C&K, and ABC Education. Drawing on our collective expertise and informed by the national priorities set during the Digital Childhoods Summit in 2025, we identified four thematic areas that reflect the urgent issues to action, currently facing children, families, educators, industry, and government. The four themes for the panel discussions were: 1. Inclusion and Opportunities: Child participation and equity 2. Privacy and Safety: Protection by design 3. Digital Pathways: From evidence to resources 4. Messaging and Media: Making communication work Following panel discussions led by experts in key thematic areas, Summit attendees participated in structured roundtable discussions, each led by a Digital Child researcher, to generate top actions for
supporting children in a digital world based on the issues raised by the panellists and drawing on their own expertise. Three breakout sessions on Health in the Digital Age, Edtech Under the Microscope, and Safety versus Privacy in ECEC spaces ran on the first day of the Summit. These sessions allowed deep-dive discussions on key topics. At the conclusion of the Summit, attendees were invited to rank the actions identified via an anonymous online survey. Each of the actions were given a score, which allowed votes to be tallied across each theme. Following ranking, a thematic analysis was conducted. Where actions conceptually overlapped, they were collapsed into a single, unified action. Some actions were re-worked by an expert team to ensure they included action verbs and were able to be operationalised according to the selected framework. Following this process, each of the actions were presented to expert researchers who attended the Digital Child Annual Meeting (DCAM) in 2026. Attendees were provided each of the actions as well as a copy of the digital operationalisation framework to complete. A working example produced by these experts is presented in this report. The actions under each of the themes that were ranked, reflect shared opportunities for coordinated action and collaboration across sectors.
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Introduction The Digital Childhoods Summit 2026 took place on 27–28 May in Canberra, bringing together leaders from government, regulation, industry, early education, and the community sector. The Summit, now in its third year, is a national gathering focused on aligning policy and practice to better support children’s digital lives and wellbeing. The Summit participants engaged in a dynamic two-day program featuring keynote presentations, research highlights, panel discussions and group sessions designed to identify practical, cross-sector actions. This report has been prepared for Summit attendees and broader networks interested in the wellbeing, education, social participation, and safety of children using digital technologies. By bringing these sectors together, the Digital Child aimed to strengthen its collective impact and define key priorities for future collaboration. The report summarises key actions and a potential framework, the Digital Impact Framework, to operationalise these actions for researcher, government, industry, and community organisations. Each action was generated during panels and facilitated roundtable discussions. These discussions were documented by Digital Child scribes (early and mid-career researchers from the centre) and later synthesised to reflect the actions that emerged across the Summit’s thematic sessions (i.e. Inclusion and Opportunities, Privacy and Safety, and Digital Pathways).
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Organisations 74 people attended the Summit. They represented organisations that are undertaking vital work to advance the safety and wellbeing of children in digital environments. ABC Education
Goodstart Early Learning
ACT Education Directorate
Meta
Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Apple ARACY
NAPCAN
ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Australian Council on Children and the Media Australian Human Rights Commission Australian Library and Information Association
Parenting Research Centre PROJECT ROCKIT QUT
C&K
Raising Children Network
Curtin University
ReachOut
Community Early Learning Australia (CELA)
SmackTalk Ltd
Day of AI Australia
Snap Inc
Deakin University
Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia
Department of Education
Teach Us Consent
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts
Telstra Foundation
Digital Industry Group Inc Early Childhood Australia eSafety Commissioner Good Things Australia
The Conversation Australia UNICEF Australia University of Canberra University of Queensland University of Wollongong
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Program summary The Summit was chaired by Digital Child Chief Investigator Professor Simon Smith and featured keynote speakers, a research data-slam from Digital Child research fellows, panel discussions, and facilitated roundtable sessions. Arran McKenna, a visual scribe based in Canberra, captured the discussions, presentations, research panels and daily summaries. A very special inclusion this year, was a wonderful performance by the Woden Valley Children’s Choir on the morning of day one to centre children’s voices and commence the two-day event. Keynotes Rights of the Child: The National Children’s Commissioner Deb Tsobaris presented on the importance of keeping the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the forefront when we talk about, design, and deliver digital childhoods for children in Australia. She discussed that children’s participation in digital spaces should not come at the cost of their privacy, the very prominent and real dangers of online spaces for children, but also the community and representation that matters as children are shaping their identity online and offline. Privacy: The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s Dr Aleesha Rodriguez stepped in for Dr Kate Bower and provided an update on the upcoming Children’s Online Privacy Code. Setting children’s privacy as a default setting and ensuring that policy documents are written plainly so that children as young as 8-years-old can understand them. The aim of the code is to promote an increase in privacy literacy and understanding children’s rights, and encouraging providers, services, and industry to set this as a default; taking the burden from individual children and their caregivers. Research Highlights from the Digital Child Hearing insights into the research happening across the Centre is always a high priority for attendees and the steering committee. As such, following from the format in 2025, we had two time slots allocated to showcasing the current research underway. The Australian Children of the Digital Age (ACODA) Longitudinal study was featured on day one. Attendees were provided with a snapshot of the cohort, an insight into the newly released ACODA dashboard, and published research on the effects of screens on sleep in young children which was a direct result of the study. On day two, to give the audience a taste of all the research happening, a 3-minute Research Data Slam was presented. Seven Research Fellows from across the Digital Child presented their research projects in under 3-minutes. From exploring the digital experiences of migrant families to digital self-regulation, screen-time and gamifying learning, we heard a range of brilliant presentations featuring some of the Digital Child’s up and coming researchers.
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Panel 1: Inclusion and opportunities Child participation and equity Taking action to embed children’s participation and ensure digital equity Facilitator: Dr Karley Beckman (Digital Child) Panel: Dr Kristy Corser (Digital Child), Jess Wilson (Good Things Foundation), Ben Au (SNAP) & Kathryn Tohill (Starlight Children’s Foundation) The panellists discussed their approaches to inclusion and ensuring that children and families are a central part of the design, outcomes and resources. A common theme across the panellists was the use of co-design in their programs with families and children, with an emphasis on how to target and reach those children who are most at risk. The importance of play and listening to children and families was also highlighted throughout. The top actions identified were:
Establish standards of best-practice models of child inclusion • •
Ensure children and young people are involved in decision making in new technology, and policy, Participation in design and infrastructure
Develop national digital inclusion and literacy program for caregivers and children • •
Calling for cross-sector collaboration Promotion in schools, but also beyond to community settings and early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings and services
Encourage a broader range of children and youth representation • •
Inclusion and opportunities available to all Increase diversity in representation including but not limited to age, gender, sexual identity, and SES
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Panel 2: Privacy and safety - Protection by design Implementing standards and safeguards that protect children by design Facilitator: Professor Tama Leaver (Digital Child) Panel: Ariana Kurseme (Alannah and Madeline Foundation), Ryan Elwell (University of Canberra), Ellen O’Brien (eSafety) This panel showcased actions underway to strengthen privacy and security protections for children in digital spaces. Discussions centred on operationalising safety-by-design standards as a duty of care for industry and the need for collective action to ensure all children are safe online. The panel discussed how to give dignity and control to children and youth using digital technology. We also heard examples of how schools and community are embedding safety by design into curriculum e.g. through hackathons; how one instance of cyberbullying is reportable to schools; eSafety school program. The top actions identified were:
Coordinate a sustained, cross-sector advocacy effort to compel platforms to embed safety by design • •
joint submissions, public statements, and direct engagement with regulators shifting the burden of children’s online safety from parents and smaller organisations to the companies building the products
Develop practical implementation guidance that translates the “best interest of the child” principle •
Create concrete, testable design criteria for platforms and service providers.
Build confidence with AI to understand the risks, use it well, and focus on human skills • •
AI literacy for the community, e.g., data privacy, consent, use of personal data Increase clarity about when content has been made or shaped by AI, this includes transparency between AI-assisted vs AI-generated content.
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Panel 3: Digital pathways - From evidence to resources Building the evidence base and resources families need now Facilitator: Dr Danica Hendry (Digital Child) Panel: Natasha Banks (Day of AI), Dr Stephanie Smith (MOAD), Sage Emmerson (eSafety) Moving from ‘what we need to know’ to ‘what is being done about it’, this session highlighted actions that strengthen research on digital childhood and create accessible support resources. The panellists discussed some of the incredible resources already available from the MIT family toolkit for AI, and Musem of Australian Democracy’s media literacy exhibitions and education efforts, including relationships with known authors and illustrators to use children’s stories as a basis for asking questions about the world around them. Panellists also discussed the challenges posed by the rapid movement of AI and technology, making it incredibly difficult for families, educators, and community to respond to new problems in real time. The top actions identified were:
Establish pathways of evidence-based translation from research to policy, practice, and impact •
For example, increase range and availability of events between the annual summit.
Develop a Digital Child Roadmap for stakeholders and partners •
set out how the Centre’s networks, convening role, and resources will be sustained now, through the Centre’s conclusion, and beyond it
Build a sustainable, formalised Digital Child network •
For example, the establishment of a National Centre for the Digital Child; OR, secure ongoing investment for an annual national Summit
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Panel 4: Messaging and media - Making communication work What are we are doing to make communication work? Facilitator: Professor Daniel Johnson (Digital Child) Panel: Dr Aleesha Rodriguez (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner), Annabel Astbury (ABC), Daniel Donahoo (Project ROCKIT), Ash Kapoor (Telstra Foundation youth representative) This panel discussed a range of activities which are underway to improve digital landscapes for children, youth, and families. Panellists shared their experiences with working with children and young people, messaging they’ve created, and feedback loops they’ve established in their communities. The panel challenged other sectors to act on their experiences and demonstrate what effective collaboration and communication looks like in practice. The panellists identified some core actions to make communication, media and messaging work with children and families:
Build sustained, reciprocal relationships with young collaborators • •
Communicate authentically to develop a shared language Provide opportunities for feedback throughout the process
Bring a playful mindset to your work with children and young people • •
Approach engagement with curiosity, humour, and a willingness to experiment Let playfulness shape your communication, your messaging and your storytelling
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Breakout sessions The inclusion of specialty-area breakout sessions A new feature in 2026. These sessions were introduced to enable in-depth discussions and networking among those with shared interests. The three ‘break-out’ panel sessions were aligned with the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child’s specialties: Health, Education, and Connection. Stream 1 – Health in the Digital Age
Title: From Evidence to Action on Harms and Benefits Chair: Dr Danica Hendry (Digital Child) The session examined current evidence on the harms and benefits of young children’s digital technology use, highlighting issues in existing research and concerns with guidance that focuses heavily on screen time alone rather than the content, context and quality of use. It also explored how research, family guidance and policy could move towards more nuanced, evidence-informed approaches that support children’s digital skills, relationships and wellbeing through clear, compassionate and practical messaging. The top actions identified were:
Consideration of research design •
A need to reflect contemporary digital technology use, respecting the limitations of the current body of literature
Importance of partnerships with trusted individuals and organisations •
A need for timely, accurate and empowering translation of research findings into the community with consistent messaging via multiple pathways
Importance of considering the tone and framing of messaging •
A need for accurate, accessible and actionable guidance on children’s technology use, delivered with curiosity and compassion
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Stream 2 – EdTech Under the Microscope
Title: Measuring Costs and Benefits for Learning and Development Chair: Dr Andy Zhao, Associate Professor Tiffani Apps and Dr Karley Beckman (Digital Child) This session mapped the Australian children’s EdTech landscape, examining the promises, values, and everyday realities that shape children’s experiences with educational technologies. It also sought to reimagine the values, priorities, and creative possibilities that should guide the future design and development of EdTech. The top actions identified were:
Map children’s EdTech •
Define and map the diverse technologies, purposes, contexts, and stakeholders that make up Australia’s children’s EdTech landscape.
Examine promises and realities •
Identify how the promises and values of EdTech align with everyday realities, while reducing the burden on children and educators.
Reimagine EdTech •
Establish child-centred values and criteria to guide the future design and development of safe, inclusive, rights-respecting EdTech.
Stream 3 – Safety Versus Privacy in ECEC Spaces
Title: The costs and benefits of increased surveillance Chair: Professor Sue Irvine, (QUT) Presentations and Panel: Dr. Aleesha Rodriguez (OAIC), Emma Hill (Commonwealth Department of Education), Dr Suzy Tamone (C&K), Rachel Minns (Digital Child), Doranna Wong (Goodstart Early Learning), Renee Mitchell (Goodstart Early Learning) This session examined emerging reforms in the ECEC sector. These reforms require us to reconsider our assumptions and practices through a child safety lens. Digital environments are not new to early childhood settings. Familiar technologies have long been seen as relatively safe and respectful of children’s rights. However, the role of digital media in recent child abuse prosecutions means they now warrant re-examination. Panellists considered three such environments, asking what evidence is needed to justify their continued use. The top actions identified were:
Consultation with children in ECEC settings •
To understand the use of CCTV in ECEC centres (short term) - to inform CCTV trials
Enable conversations within the ECEC sector from “we can” to “should we” •
To consider use of images in marketing and pedagogic documentation, to develop a safe pedagogic photography framework in ECEC settings
Communication with families •
To support parents and educators about privacy literacy, working with ECEC partners
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What could these actions look like in practice? For actions to be meaningful, they need to be operationalised through plans by researchers, governments, and industry. As such, a draft of the actions identified at the Summit were taken to leading child health, education, and connection researchers at the Digital Child Annual Meeting (DCAM, Coolangatta, QLD, August 2026). Researchers at DCAM were asked to complete the Digital Impact Framework to operationalise an action of their choice. An example from one of the groups is provided for clarity on how this framework could be used. Example: Panel 2 - Safety and Privacy: Privacy by design Action 2: Develop practical implementation guidance that translates the “best interests of the child” principle Short term (0-2 years)
Medium term (2-5 years)
Long term (5+ years)
Actions
Establish rotating youth advisory councils that inform platforms’ planning, implementation and monitoring. Members are nominated by peers, initially from among student leaders.
Develop a star-rating certification system that shows how well platforms align with the best interest of children, starting with social media and extending to other platforms and technologies.
Explore an Australian public social media platform, or a nationalised version of a leading platform, drawing on emerging sovereign AI models. (Aspirational)
Actors
•
• • • •
• •
Australian school students (initially student leaders) Social media platforms Researchers
A designated government body • Researchers • Child advocacy groups Industry and platforms
Resources Platforms fund the councils as part
Government and advocacy foundaof their social licence and as a condi- tions, with platform contributions tion of operating in the Australian as a condition of operating in the market. Australian market.
Indicators Level of platform engagement with
Government Social media companies
Public funding Social media companies
Feedback from youth advisors
Ratings are enforceable and reduced for platforms that do not support measures such as youth advisory councils.
Australian children and families use the platform at sustained levels, measured by active users by age group and retention over time.
Independent research evaluation of the program
Platforms operating in Australia hold current certification.
The platform achieves and maintains the highest star rating, showing the certification standard can be met in practice.
the councils
Best-interests assessment is a standard, auditable part of product development. Star ratings influence parents’ decisions.
Commercial platforms adopt features or standards first set by the public platform, raising the baseline across the sector.
We now provide you with the Digital Impact Framework and invite you to start to populating it in response to the actions identified by you and your colleagues from across the health, education, and digital sectors. Short term (0-2 years) Actions
Actors Who are the important people? Level - e.g. researchers, government, industry Resources E.g. funding, knowledge and evidence, capabilities, partnerships and networks Indicators How will we know it has worked?
Medium term (2-5 years)
Long term (5+ years)
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Save the date! Our next Summit is scheduled for 26-27 May 2027
digitalchild.org.au