• UNICEF and GSMA unveiled the Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection at MWC25 Kigali.

• Africa has one of the world's fastest rates of children coming online. Young users face cyberbullying, exploitation, harmful content, and AI-driven threats.

• From Policy to Action: The Taskforce implements the GSMA's June 2025 whitepaper recommendations.

In a move to address the growing risks facing Africa's young internet users, UNICEF and the GSMA have launched the Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection (COP), marking what it says is the continent's first coordinated, multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to digital safety for children.

The initiative, unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 Kigali, brings together mobile operators, technology companies, regulators, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations to implement comprehensive child protection strategies across Africa's rapidly digitalizing landscape.

"As Africa's children step boldly into the digital world, their safety must come first," said Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. "The Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection is a uniquely African platform to ensure technology shields children from harm while opening doors to learning, play, and growth."

The Taskforce comes as Africa experiences one of the world's fastest rates of digital adoption among young people. GSMA data shows 527 million mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa by end-2023, representing 44% of the population.

However, this digital revolution brings significant risks. Children across Africa increasingly face cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful content, and misinformation – challenges amplified by the continent's mobile-first internet landscape and the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence technologies, says UNICEF.

The Taskforce builds directly on recommendations from the GSMA's June 2025 whitepaper, Enhancing Child Online Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa, developed with UNICEF and regional partners. That report called for coordinated action from governments, industry, civil society, and youth to create safer digital environments.

The Taskforce's founding members represent a cross-section of Africa's digital ecosystem, including major telecommunications operators MTN Group, Orange, Safaricom, Vodacom Group, and Axian Telecom, alongside international organizations such as INTERPOL, the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), Internet Watch Foundation, and Child Helpline International.

By centering African voices, particularly young people who represent the continent's demographic majority, the Taskforce aims to develop contextually appropriate interventions that balance protection with the transformative opportunities digital access provides for education, economic participation, and social connection.

The initiative positions Africa to potentially lead global conversations on child-centered digital governance, offering models that prioritize both safety and access in mobile-first, youth-majority populations – characteristics increasingly relevant worldwide.

As the Taskforce begins its work, its success will likely depend on sustained commitment from all stakeholders, adequate resourcing for implementation, and genuine integration of youth perspectives into decision-making processes.

Hikmatu Bilali