Safeguarding Children’s Rights in the Digital Age: A Comparative Study of Sri Lanka, the EU, and the USA

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has profoundly reshaped childhood experiences worldwide, offering both significant opportunities and unprecedented risks. The need for a more comprehensive legal framework that deals with digital rights and the online safety of children has been very apparent in Sri Lanka. This paper examines the emerging challenges faced by children in digital environments and critically looks at the extent to which the current law and policy regime of Sri Lanka is sufficient to protect those children against threats like exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, privacy invasion, and limited digital literacy. Drawing on a comparative analysis of the European Union and United States legal regimes, the study highlights significant regulatory gaps in the Sri Lankan context. The research employs a doctrinal legal methodology, supplemented by children’s rights theory and legal realism as its theoretical framework. It proposes targeted legal reforms, including the enactment of a dedicated Online Child Protection Act, enhancement of data protection laws, and integration of online safety provisions into national child protection policies. The study concludes by emphasizing the necessity of a dynamic, child-centered regulatory approach that ensures Sri Lankan children’s safety and empowerment in the digital age.