Spotlight for the Month: Baroness Beeban Kidron, OBE, Champion for Children’s Rights in the Digital Age
Baroness Beeban Kidron stands as one of the world’s most influential voices in advancing children’s rights, safety, and wellbeing in the digital environment. A British lawmaker, filmmaker, and global digital rights advocate, she has reshaped the way governments, tech companies, and institutions think about children online.
A Trailblazer in Global Digital Regulation
Sitting as a Crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords, Baroness Kidron has been central to establishing groundbreaking digital safety and privacy standards worldwide. Her leadership has shaped major legislative reforms, including the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code, now influencing policy across the globe.
She serves in multiple global strategic roles, including:
- Advisor, Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford
- Commissioner, UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development
- Expert Advisor, UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence
- Founder and Chair, 5Rights Foundation
- Visiting Professor of Practice, London School of Economics
- Fellow, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford
Through these positions, she informs major global frameworks on child protection, online accountability, digital governance, and responsible AI.
Founder of the 5Rights Foundation
The 5Rights Foundation, created by Baroness Kidron, began as a visionary set of principles advocating that children must be able to participate in the digital world creatively, safely, and knowledgeably.
The pioneering 5Rights Framework highlights five essential digital rights for every child:
- Right to Remove – Children should be able to easily edit or delete content they create.
- Right to Know – Transparency about how their data is used, stored, or monetized.
- Right to Safety & Support – Protection from illegal or harmful practices online.
- Right to Informed & Conscious Use – Empowerment to explore creatively while also disengaging when needed.
- Right to Digital Literacy – Education to use, create, and critically understand digital tools and spaces.
These rights have been endorsed and shaped by policymakers, academics, technologists, health experts, and most importantly, children themselves.
A Voice for Children on the World Stage
Baroness Kidron sits on numerous prestigious international bodies, including:
- UNESCO Broadband Commission
- Global Council on Extended Intelligence
- Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Problematic Usage of the Internet
- Advisory Council, Oxford Institute for Ethics in AI
- Digital Futures Commission
Her work ensures that child rights are not an afterthought but a central pillar in global conversations about technology, mental health, social media, and AI governance.
A Creative Beginning and a Lifelong Mission
Before entering the House of Lords, Baroness Kidron was an award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of Filmclub (now Into Film), a charity dedicated to film education for young people. Her creative background continues to shape her advocacy, a blend of storytelling, evidence, compassion, and courage.
Today, Baroness Kidron is recognized around the world as a leading architect of child-centered digital policy and a champion for systems that protect and empower children everywhere.
