G7 digital ministers held a meeting in Paris on May 29, adopting a ministerial declaration and a set of “common principles” designed to implement concrete cooperative measures. The declaration’s core focus is on protecting children in cyberspace: it clearly states that while digital services are tools for learning and communication, they can negatively impact children’s physical and mental health, emphasizing that service providers and governments must take action, including “adopting risk-reduction measures and providing tools that allow parents to exercise appropriate management.” The common principles will also promote the introduction of effective age verification mechanisms for social platforms. The declaration expresses strong concern about the harm caused by generative AI creating pornographic images without the consent of the individuals depicted, and calls for strengthening media literacy support for children.
On the topic of AI governance, the declaration affirms that G7 cooperation under the framework of the “Hiroshima AI Process” has facilitated the introduction of safe and trustworthy AI, and points out that promoting the adoption of AI technology by small and medium-sized enterprises is indispensable for achieving economic growth. The meeting was chaired by this year’s presidency holder France. French Digital Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot held a press conference after the meeting, emphasizing that analysis of digital services used by children will be promoted from a scientific perspective. The parties also reached a consensus on addressing issues such as internet addiction and cyberbullying, committing to building a safer online environment.