Childhood, Freedom of Expression and the Media in the Americas (2019)

This report, prepared by the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, analyzes the exercise of the right to freedom of expression by children in the Americas, with particular attention to the role of traditional media and the Internet.

It argues that children are full holders of the right to freedom of expression under both the American Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it calls for interpreting this right in a way that fully acknowledges children’s agency, evolving autonomy, and participation in public life.

The report emphasizes that freedom of expression and children’s other rights—privacy, dignity, participation—are not antagonistic but mutually reinforcing, and should be harmonized in legal and regulatory frameworks.

At the same time, the report recognizes that certain restrictions on freedom of expression are permissible under international law—such as those aimed at protecting children’s moral development or privacy—but insists that any restrictions must meet strict criteria: they must be grounded in law, have a legitimate purpose, and satisfy necessity and proportionality tests.

Finally, the report proposes a series of recommendations urging States, regulatory bodies, the media, civil society, and international organizations to facilitate children’s meaningful participation in public communication, reduce barriers to their access to information, develop positive media and information literacy programs, ensure ethical journalistic practices when covering children, and design classification or parental control tools that respect children’s evolving autonomy without resorting to censorship.