G7 leaders, along with partner countries Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, and the Republic of Korea, have issued a statement calling for a safer digital space for minors. The declaration, released on June 17, 2026, emphasizes the commitment to providing safe, enriching, and development-focused online experiences for children and youth under 18. Digital service providers are urged to play a critical role in creating platforms that are secure, privacy-preserving, and age-appropriate by default.

The statement acknowledges the positive role of digital technology in education, healthcare, and social connection but also highlights the risks posed by online platforms. These include exposure to illegal or age-inappropriate content, compulsive behaviors driven by engagement-maximizing features, and mental health impacts. To mitigate these risks, the G7 leaders recommend the implementation of safety-by-design approaches, including effective age assurance mechanisms and parental control tools.

Key Recommendations

The leaders outlined several actionable steps for governments, digital service providers, and stakeholders:

• Age Assurance and Safety Settings: Providers must develop technology to ensure safe and age-appropriate experiences while preserving user privacy. Default safety settings and easy-to-use parental controls are emphasized.
• Conversational AI Safety: Recognizing the risks associated with AI tools, providers are urged to implement safety settings by default, including parental controls and age assurance solutions.
• Content Transparency: Efforts to distinguish authentic from synthetic content should be strengthened. Providers must enhance transparency and promote digital literacy.
• Prohibition of Harmful Content: The generation, manipulation, and distribution of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes, must be prohibited. Effective detection and removal measures are mandatory.
• Combating Extremism: Digital platforms should adopt safeguards to prevent the exposure of minors to violent extremism and terrorism, collaborating with law enforcement as needed.

Collaboration and Future Steps

The G7 leaders stressed the importance of sharing best practices and fostering a research ecosystem to study the impacts of digital services and AI on minors. Transparency, accountability, and evidence-based policymaking are highlighted as essential components of this effort. The leaders welcomed the G7 Common Set of Principles adopted by their ministers and called for regular assessments of progress by the end of the year.

The statement reflects the outcome of discussions between G7 members and partner countries, aiming to create a coordinated and effective approach to online safety for children and youth.

The Group of Seven (G7) nations are planning to limit China's share of rare earths to 60%, according to reports, marking a significant step by the world's leading industrialized economies to reduce their dependence on Chinese supplies of critical minerals. Rare earth elements are vital inputs across a broad spectrum of industries, including electronics, electric vehicles, defense systems, and renewable energy technologies.

G7's Strategic Push on Rare Earth Supply Chains

The proposed 60% cap on China's share of rare earths underscores the urgency with which G7 member nations are approaching the issue of critical mineral supply chain security. China currently dominates global rare earth production and processing, making it a pivotal supplier for industries worldwide. The G7's plan signals a collective intent to diversify sourcing and reduce strategic vulnerabilities associated with concentrated supply.

The following table summarizes the key detail reported in this development:

Significance of Rare Earth Diversification

Rare earth elements encompass a group of 17 metallic elements that are integral to the manufacturing of high-technology products. Their applications span several strategically important sectors:

• Electronics: Used in smartphones, computers, and semiconductors
• Defense: Critical for guided missiles, radar systems, and military hardware
• Clean Energy: Essential for wind turbines, electric vehicle motors, and batteries
• Industrial Manufacturing: Used in catalysts, magnets, and specialized alloys

The concentration of rare earth supply in a single country has long been identified as a systemic risk by policymakers across G7 economies. By setting a defined threshold of 60%, the G7 appears to be formalizing efforts to ensure that no single nation controls an outsized portion of these critical resources.

Broader Context of Critical Mineral Policy

The G7's reported move is consistent with a broader global trend of nations reassessing their supply chain dependencies for critical minerals. Several G7 members have individually pursued bilateral agreements, domestic mining initiatives, and strategic stockpiling programs in recent years to address rare earth supply risks. A coordinated G7-level target would represent an escalation of these efforts into a multilateral framework, aiming to collectively reshape the global rare earth market structure.