LCH Masterclass | International Law and the Governance of the Internet: Youth Engagement and the Development of Global Digital Norms

Lodz Cyber Hub invites you to a Masterclass with Dr Natálie Terčová, focusing on how international law conceptualizes the position of young people in the digital environment: not only as subjects of protection, but primarily as rights holders, including the right to access online content, participate in shaping the norms that govern them, and exercise freedom of expression.

Why attend?
The lecture introduces a key distinction between risk and harm and poses a question rarely addressed in public debate: what does it mean for digital policy that most young users encounter potentially harmful content online, yet only some experience negative consequences?

We will explore why age-based restrictions and platform bans, though motivated by safety concerns, may not adequately reflect the complexity of young people’s digital experiences, and what a more targeted, evidence-based, and human rights–compliant regulatory approach might look like.

About the speaker
Dr Natálie Terčová is a Czech researcher specializing in the role of internet users in the governance of emerging technologies and the impact of digital technologies on user experience. Her interdisciplinary background combines empirical research, user perspectives, and digital policy. She has conducted research on online safety, digital literacy, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as well as the broader relationship between online risk and its consequences.

Dr Terčová is actively engaged in internet governance processes at both European and global levels. She serves as the European representative on the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of ICANN and its leadership team (ALT), and chairs IGF Czechia.

This Masterclass is part of the ongoing Lodz Cyber Hub Masterclass series, which brings leading practitioners and researchers to Lodz to strengthen knowledge of international law, cybersecurity, and internet governance among students and early-career researchers.

This event is supported by the EURALO Community Regional Outreach Program (CROP). 

References and further reading

1. Terčová, N., Kaymakci, S., and Hunfeld, M. (2024). From Data to Dialogue: Youth Perspectives on Child Sexual Abuse in the Digital Sphere. Report. Brave Movement. Available at: https://www.bravemovement.org. Download here.
2. Kalmus, V., Batista, S., Opermann, S., Terčová, N., and Jaroň Bedrošová, M. (2024). Child vulnerability in the digital world. In D. Kutsar, M. Beilmann, and O. Nahkur (eds.), Child Vulnerability and Vulnerable Subjectivity: Interdisciplinary and Comparative Perspectives, pp. 131–152. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61333-3_8 Download here.
3. Smahel, D., Machackova, H., Mascheroni, G., Dedkova, L., Staksrud, E., Olafsson, K., Livingstone, S., and Hasebrink, U. (2020). EU Kids Online 2020: Survey Results from 19 Countries. EU Kids Online, London School of Economics and Political Science. https://doi.org/10.21953/lse.47fdeqj01ofo Download here.
4. Livingstone, S., and Ringmar Sylwander, K. (2025). There is no right age! The search for age-appropriate ways to support children's digital lives and rights. Journal of Children and Media, 19(1), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2024.2435015 Download here.
5. Terčová, N., and Smahel, D. (2025). Digital skills' role in intended and unintended exposure to harmful online content among European adolescents. Media and Communication, 13, Article 8963. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.8963 Download here.
6. Jaroň Bedrošová, M., Terčová, N., De Coninck, D., Pyżalski, J., Waechter, N., and Macháčková, H. (2025). Adolescents' intentional and unintentional cyberhate exposure in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal: The role of perceived discrimination and digital literacy. Journal of Children and Media, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2025.2480091 Download here.

ICANN programs for students and professionals

ICANN Fellowship Programme: https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram NextGen@ICANN Programme: https://www.icann.org/public-responsibility-support/nextgen Overview of programmes: https://www.icann.org/en/beginners/programs-for-professionals-and-students