2025-1 EU Society 3rd Session April 2, 2025 > EU Society at KUGSIS

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The third session of the EU Society began with a presentation titled: “Exploitation of Child Influencers in the EU” by Arina Reshetilova.

Arina’s presentation focused on the growing issue of child influencer exploitation in the EU, examining  the  ethical,  legal,  and  regulatory gaps surrounding this phenomenon. She provided an insightful analysis of the definition of family and child influencers, highlighted real-life instances of exploitation, and explored the existing legal frameworks for child protection in the EU. Arina began by defining family influencers as social media personalities who share content about their family life, often featuring their children in a central role. Child influencers, in contrast, are minors whose social media  presence  is  managed  by  their  parents,  frequently  generating  significant  revenue  through sponsorships and advertisements. Arina presented an unedited clip of a “mom influencer” coaching her  child  to  cry  on  camera  while  posing.  This  disturbing  example  illustrated  the  emotional manipulation  some  children  endure  to  create  engaging  content.  She  explained  how  such  staged emotions can have long-term psychological consequences for children who are compelled to perform under parental pressure. The presentation outlined existing international child protection frameworks, such  as  the  UN  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child  (UNCRC)  and the International Labour Organization  (ILO)  conventions  on  child  labour.  While  these  frameworks  address  child  welfare broadly, they lack specific guidelines for regulating child influencer work. Arina examined existing child labour and protection laws within the EU, emphasizing that current regulations mainly focus on traditional labour sectors. Several EU nations have strict child labour protections, but these laws do not yet explicitly cover digital labour or influencer work. EU countries have child labour protections in traditional industries, but there is no overarching framework for child influencers. France is currently the only EU country with specific legislation protecting child influencers, requiring earnings to be safeguarded  and  regulating  work  hours.  Despite  existing  child  labour  laws, there is no EU-wide regulatory framework addressing the unique vulnerabilities of child influencers. Arina argued that this absence leaves many children exposed to exploitation, with their earnings often controlled by parents without oversight. Arina concluded by explaining why the current system is exploitative: Lack of consent and understanding, financial exploitation, privacy concerns, psychological impact. The members afterwards discussed how children might be exploited in the digital economy, if social media platforms should be held more accountable, how effective would international regulations be.