Recommender Systems: Balancing Innovation with Children’s Safety and Well-being

Moderator: Stephen Almond, Vice President of Policy and Consulting, Centre for Information Policy Leadership
Cecilia Álvarez, Director, Privacy Policy, EMEA, Meta
John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner, Coimisiún na Meán
Antonella Zarra, Case Handler for the DSA Enforcement Team, DG CONNECT

Children’s exposure to recommender systems on social media, video-sharing services and online gaming platforms has increasingly been a topic of discussion and has prompted several regulators — including the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office, the European Commission and the eSafety Commissioner — to take a closer look. At the same time, companies are seeking to balance innovation and personalization with children’s privacy and safety. This panel will explore how companies leverage recommender systems to enhance children’s safety, how recommender systems can be used as tools to mitigate risks related to children’s well-being and how these systems can balance innovation with children’s safety and well-being.

What you will learn:

• How recommender systems can maintain focus on children’s privacy and safety while maintaining personalization. 
• How recommender systems balance regulatory requirements with innovative features.
• Concrete examples of best practices in the design and deployment of recommender systems to ensure children’s privacy and safety.