UN Urges Safer Social Media for Children

Teenagers watch a mobile phone.

Blocking children from social media is no substitute for making platforms safe in the first place, the UN human rights office warned on Friday as it issued a 10-point framework urging governments and tech companies to act more swiftly to protect children online.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the harms children face in digital spaces — from addictive design features to privacy violations — are not inevitable, but rather the result of deliberate commercial choices.

‘Addictive Features’

“Online harms to children’s safety, privacy, and well-being result from design choices and business practices that undermine safety, including addictive features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and persistent notifications,” he said.

The guidelines, titled Getting Children's Safety Online Right, come as age-based social media restrictions continue to expand worldwide.

Australia barred children under 16 from social media platforms in December 2025, with Indonesia and Malaysia following suit. More than a dozen other countries are considering similar measures.

Mr Türk cautioned that such bans can be easily circumvented and may push children toward riskier, less monitored online spaces.

“Simply limiting access to platforms that remain unsafe cannot be the end goal,” he said.

Peggy Hicks, OHCHR Director of Thematic Engagement and Special Procedures, said technology companies now face a clear choice.

“They must change how their platforms are designed and operated to better protect children’s rights and safety — or face increasingly restrictive legislation and regulatory penalties,” she told reporters in Geneva.

The guidelines call for child safety to be embedded into platform design from the outset, rather than leaving parents and children to manage risks on their own.

They also recommend mandatory child rights impact assessments, carefully regulated age verification systems to protect privacy, and meaningful consultation with children when developing regulatory responses.

Ms Hicks stressed that the rapidly evolving digital landscape — including the rise of artificial intelligence and chatbots — requires agile, evidence-based policymaking.

“We need to gather evidence and adapt quickly to what we learn,” she said.