When it comes to safety in the digital world, it helps to have an enthusiastic advocate on your team. Meet Elizabeth 🔮
Empowering curious minds to explore is why we’re all here. But we also share a responsibility to make sure they can do so safely. Dr Elizabeth is our Senior Corporate Counsel for LEGO® GAME, (Gaming Activation and Metaverse Experiences). Her expertise in online child protection plays a vital role as we continue our own digital journey.
“Even though we’re very much a physical brick company, we need to be conscious of where children go. More and more children are playing and creating in the digital world. So we should be there too - creating digital playgrounds that are fun, inspiring and, above all, spaces where parents and caregivers can be confident their children are safe.”
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“The fundamental question my role begins with is: ‘How can we make our digital products and services compliant?’, but it doesn’t end there. Compliance is a bare minimum. We have a reputation to uphold and a duty of care to the curious minds we inspire. We have a responsibility to children of today and of the future to support their digital rights, safety and wellbeing. Everywhere we are - as a business, as a brand, as a base for creative play – if it involves children, if it involves digital, I want to be there to provide guidance.”
“Look at it this way: on the one hand, it’s about being across the multitude of laws as they evolve in jurisdictions from the UK and Europe to the US, China and Australia. On the other hand, I need to look at whether those laws meet our own rigorous standards, and I have to be able to explain to business units how we can still meet or even surpass their business objectives, while respecting children’s digital rights.”
It sounds like there’s a lot to keep in mind.
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“Absolutely. This is uncharted territory, and it could be a minefield. But I prefer to see it as a whole new world of possibilities. Why should we limit ourselves by only seeing a problem? Let’s accentuate the positive and take on the challenge. Problems need solutions and this is a huge opportunity to be creative and craft innovative best practices for our employees, for children, for industry."
“The reality is that there are heaps of challenges with developing digital products and services today. We are starting to see claims of potential harm to children (eye strain, neck and back pain, obesity, problematic use of devices, for example), but we also know of the benefits of being savvy and digital users (connections, online support, digital citizenship, empowerment). So, the question becomes “How do we balance out creating a digital experience that is fun and playful and captures their attention, yet still encouraging our child users to take breaks and share with a trusted adult in order to mitigate these risks?”
But doesn’t it sometimes mean that ‘safety’ is the killjoy in the room? Doesn’t safety come at the expense of fun?
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“Not at all. This is what I’m saying. It is absolutely possible to find that balance when we employ good practice by design. We just had a partnership with UNICEF, funded by the LEGO Foundation, where we were looking at what is digital well-being? what makes a child thrive when they're online? When they get off that tablet or computer and they play that video game, how do we make sure that this becomes a feel-good burst of empowerment and creativity?”
Elizabeth's commitment to child protection extends beyond her work at the LEGO Group. She serves on the boards of the NSPCC Child Safety Online Taskforce, Common Sense Media, and Digital Wellness Lab, which are leading child advocacy organizations in the UK and the US. She is an Assistant Professor lecturing on child rights, and regularly speaks at conferences and events to raise awareness of online safety issues affecting families.
“My ultimate goal is to create a digital world where children can play, learn, and explore safely and creatively. We will keep finding ways to do that as a business. It’s about bringing people together, using their expertise to hardwire safety into products and services as they evolve. It’s part of what makes what I do such a joy. I get to interact with so many different teams across the business - product design, marketing, influencer partnerships. I feel very lucky to be here – I get to work at the world’s most trusted brand to co-create a digital future for children and their families. What an awesome honour!”
Just imagine your LEGO® career.