Digital Accountability for Children: What Kenya Can Learn from the UK

By Evelyn Kasina – Trust and Safety Specialist, Child Online Protection Advocate

On July 25, 2025, the UK took a historic step in safeguarding children online. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle publicly apologised to an entire generation of children who had been exposed to toxic online content, acknowledging that political inaction had left them vulnerable for far too long. His words were powerful and deeply resonant:

“I want to apologise to any kid who’s over 13 who has not had any of these protections, to parents who have strived and failed to keep their kids free from all this content because we have let them down”.

Kyle’s leadership, culminating in the enforcement of the Online Safety Act, marks a watershed moment in digital child protection. Platforms are now legally required to remove illegal content—including suicide forums and pornography—and verify user age to prevent under-18s from accessing harmful material.

This is progressive leadership in action. It’s intentional, accountable, and child cantered. As an African child safety advocate, I admire and aspire to see such boldness replicated in Kenya and across the continent.

Where Does Kenya Stands? A Mixed Picture!

Kenya has made strides in child online protection, including the release of Industry Guidelines for Child Online Protection and Safety by the Communications Authority in April 2025 . These guidelines define child online protection as efforts to shield children from exploitation, abuse, and harmful content. However, civil society organizations have raised concerns about their effectiveness:

The guidelines lack clarity on enforcement mechanisms.

They do not differentiate between age groups or evolving capacities of children.

There is no formal structure for children’s participation in policy development.

A memorandum by Amnesty Kenya further critiques the guidelines for being overly process-heavy and vague, with limited actionable detail for industry players.

Case in Point: Roblox and the Silence in Africa

Globally, platforms like Roblox have come under scrutiny for exposing children to grooming, pornography, and violent content. Parents have shared heartbreaking stories of children being manipulated, addicted, and even traumatised by experiences on the platform. My children, avid players have shared that even the latest upgrades on the platform are not child-friendly and it seems irresponsible for perpetrators to be allowed to roam in games that they play.

Despite the millions of African children engaging with Roblox and similar platforms, there has been little to no public discourse from regulators, legislators, or even mainstream media in Kenya. This silence is alarming.

It affirms my analogy: “We are firefighters”—reactive rather than proactive in child protection matters and incidents. We wait for harm to occur before we act, rather than building resilient systems and behaviours that prevent it.

What Can We Emulate from the UK?

Peter Kyle’s approach offers several lessons:

Accountability and Transparency

Minister Kyle’s public apology was not just symbolic—it was a call to action. Kenyan leaders must be willing to acknowledge system and policy gaps and take responsibility and action to mitigate.

Legislative Backbone

The UK’s Online Safety Act enforces real consequences for platforms that fail to protect children. Kenya must move beyond guidelines to binding legislation with clear penalties.

Age Verification and Algorithm Accountability

Platforms must be held accountable for how their algorithms expose children to harmful content. Kenya should demand age assurance technologies and algorithmic transparency.

Child Participation

Children must be part of the solution. Establishing a Child Advisory Council under the Communications Authority could ensure their voices shape policy and platform design.

What Can We Do as Citizens and Advocates?

Raise awareness where parents, educators, and civil society speak up and demand better protections.

Push for policy reform through engagement with lawmakers to strengthen child protection laws.

Educate and empower the eco system of the child by equipping them with digital literacy and resilience.

Hold platforms accountable by demanding transparency and safety from tech companies operating in Kenya and across the continent.

The Time to Act Is Now

Minister Peter Kyle’s leadership reminds us that protecting children online is not optional—it’s urgent and it takes Goverment’s Goodwill. Kenya and Africa must move from reactive firefighting to proactive safeguarding. We owe it to our children to create a digital world where they can explore, learn, and grow—safely.

Let us reboot our digital strategy. CTRL + ALT + PARENT.

References

At Eveminet we are committed to engaging the entire ecosystem of the child through intentional educative and practical sessions. We are aligned with global and local research and how at impacts children’s online engagement and experiences.