The UN warns that simply banning children from accessing social media is not enough – platforms must be designed to be safe

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

‘Addictive features’

“Online harm to children’s safety, privacy and well-being results from design choices and business practices that undermine safety, including addictive design features like infinite scroll, autoplay and persistent notifications,he said.

The guideline, entitled Getting Child Safety Online Rightcomes as age-based social media restrictions become more widespread across the world.

Australia banned children under 16 from using the platform in December 2025, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as more than a dozen other countries considering similar measures.

Mr Türk warned that the ban could be easily circumvented and risked pushing children into riskier and less supervised spaces. “Simply limiting access to platforms that remain unsafe cannot be the final point,” he said.

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

“Change the way their platforms are designed and operated to better protect children’s rights and safety – or be forced to do so through increasingly stringent laws and regulatory fines,” he told reporters in Geneva.

The guidelines call for safety to be built into the platform architecture from the start, rather than letting parents and children manage the risks themselves.

They also recommend mandatory child rights impact assessments, strictly regulated age verification to prevent privacy risks, and meaningful consultation with children themselves when crafting regulatory responses.

Hicks emphasized that the rapidly evolving digital landscape – including the rise of AI and chatbots – makes agile, evidence-based policymaking critical. “We need to gather evidence and adapt quickly to what we learn,” he said.

Complete guidance is available from OHCHR Here. A video statement by High Commissioner Türk could be seen here.