European commissioner Michael McGrath publicly recognised the communications industry’s engagement with child digital safety during the Effie Awards Europe Gala, held at the Art and History Museum in Brussels. The event was organised by the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), which represents 2,500 agencies across the region.
EACA is headed up by Charley Stoney (pictured right), former chief executive of IAPI.
The commissioner paid tribute to the EACA Campaign4Good winners from Innocean Berlin for their ‘Terms, Conditions & Children’ campaign, describing it as a timely and necessary contribution to digital reform. He referred to the campaign’s alignment with EU policies, including the Digital Services Act and the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act.
The work challenges the terms digital platforms often require children to accept
“The campaign supports the broader shifts we’re trying to achieve in the EU which is about strengthening accountability and ensuring that the design serves the best interests of children,” McGrath said. Developed after a brief from EACA and the 5Rights Foundation, the work challenges the opaque terms digital platforms require children to accept.
Rights
It calls for responsibility to shift from users to providers. Selected from submissions across Europe, the campaign will be rolled out pro bono across the continent in the first quarter of 2026, supported by EACA members and media partners. The inaugural Campaign4Good theme, ‘Safety by Design’, reflects the regulatory momentum behind child digital rights.
