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The United Nations (UN) has called for urgent action to make the internet safer for children, warning that online harm stems from how many digital platforms are designed.
UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk said governments and technology companies must do more to protect children online and hold those responsible for harm accountable.
“The digital world that connects children to learning, community, and creativity also exposes them to real risks to their safety, privacy, and wellbeing,” Türk said.
He explained that harmful features such as endless scrolling, autoplay videos and constant app notifications are designed in ways that can negatively affect children.
“Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy and wellbeing are not innate or inevitable; they result from design choices and business practices that undermine safety,” he added.
Turk said simply banning children from social media is not enough and warned that such bans could push them to even riskier online spaces.
“Blanket social media bans are not a one-off panacea,” he said.
The UN released 10 guidelines titled “Getting Children’s Safety Online Right” targeted at improving children’s online safety. The recommendations include stronger protection of children’s personal data and a ban on the “micro-targeting” of children for commercial purposes.
The guidelines also call for better regulation, independent oversight and tougher penalties for companies that fail to protect children online.
Turk stressed that technology companies should build safer platforms from the start instead of leaving the responsibility to parents and children. He also warned that poor age-verification systems could create new privacy risks for both children and adults.
