Emerging technologies and the protection of children: G7 data protection authorities agree on key principles

The G7 Data Protection Organisation

The CNIL was represented at this event by its Chair, Marie-Laure Denis, and by Bertrand du Marais, Commissioner responsible for international affairs.

The meeting enabled data protection authorities from G7 countries to hold high-level discussions on the protection of minors online, emerging technologies, the free flow of data and cooperation on law enforcement.

They were also able to exchange views with representatives of other regional and international networks of authorities, as well as with representatives of the Committee on Convention 108 of the Council of Europe and the OECD, on strengthening international cooperation in the field of data protection.

Finally, researchers from Inria, Benoît Sagot and Gaël Varoquaux, presented their thoughts on the technical and ethical challenges associated with the development of artificial intelligence and the importance of dialogue between the research community and regulators on these issues.

On the eve of the roundtable, data protection authorities from G7 countries took part in the Privacy Research Day, organised by the CNIL, highlighting how they incorporate research and foresight into their day-to-day activities.

Discussions and adopted documents

Issues relating to the use of smart glasses in terms of data protection and privacy were discussed, notably  at the initiative of the CNIL, which produced a summary (a compendium) of the approaches taken by G7 data protection authorities on this subject.

Discussions were also held on agentic AI and the challenges posed by its development, in particular the use of automated decision-making processes that reduce the scope for human intervention.

Beyond these discussions, the following documents were adopted by the authorities:

• A general joint communiqué on the key points discussed at the G7;
• A statement on age verification, emphasizing key personal data protection principles to be observed in the development and use of age verification mechanisms.
• A joint document on children’s privacy and connected home devices. This document outlines privacy best practices to be implemented by manufacturers of connected devices intended for use by minors or that may process their data.

The next G7 data protection authorities’ roundtable will take place in the United States in 2027, chaired by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).