DIGITAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN’S PERSONAL DATA: PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “STATE IN SERVICE OF THE PEOPLE” PRINCIPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

The rapid digitization of society has significantly changed the mechanisms of children’s participation in the online environment. While digital technologies open wide opportunities for education, communication, and personal development, they simultaneously create risks related to personal data security, profiling, algorithmic discrimination, and cyber threats. Uzbekistan’s “2030 Strategy” emphasizes the construction of a human-oriented state, where the protection of children’s rights remains a crucial task. This article focuses on legal reforms and state policies ensuring the security of children’s personal data in the digital environment within the framework of the Strategy’s priority directions on governance, justice, and sustainable development. The comparative analysis includes international legal frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, GDPR, COPPA, and the UK Children’s Code to conceptualize Uzbekistan’s national legislation development. Additionally, artificial intelligence-based services and sharenting practices are studied as contemporary challenges. The paper proposes optimized legal and institutional solutions to strengthen digital sovereignty and child protection.