Rethinking the International Legal Protection of Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment: Contemporary Challenges and Emerging Approaches

Digital transformation has profoundly changed the mechanisms through which children’s rights are exercised and protected, challenging traditional approaches to international legal regulation. This article examines the evolution of the international legal model for the protection of children’s rights by analyzing contemporary digital risks through the framework of universal and regional international legal instruments, the practice of international organizations, and recent legal scholarship. It argues that digital risks should be understood not merely as new categories of threats but as indicators of a broader transformation in the object of international legal regulation. The study suggests that international law is no longer confined to regulating digital content and user behaviour; it is increasingly turning its attention to the digital environment as a whole – including algorithmic systems and the operation of digital platforms. It concludes that safeguarding children’s rights in the digital era requires a new conceptual model of international legal protection that integrates legal, technological, and institutional approaches.