The United Nations human rights office has warned governments around the world that blocking children from social media platforms is not enough to protect them from online harm, urging authorities and technology companies to focus instead on making digital platforms safer.
The warning came as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a new framework aimed at improving the safety of children in online spaces.
The guidelines, titled Getting Children’s Safety Online Right, set out a 10-point plan for governments, regulators and technology companies to strengthen protections for children while preserving their rights in the digital age.
The framework was unveiled at a time when several countries are introducing or considering age-based restrictions on social media use by children and teenagers.
According to the UN, concerns over cyberbullying, online exploitation, harmful content, data privacy breaches and excessive screen time have led many governments to seek stronger regulations for digital platforms.
However, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the real problem lies not in children’s access to technology but in the way many online platforms are designed and operated.
He argued that many online harms result from business decisions made by technology companies rather than from unavoidable features of the internet.
“Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy and wellbeing result from design choices and business practices that undermine safety, including addictive design features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and persistent notifications,” Türk said.
According to him, simply restricting access to platforms without addressing these issues would not provide a lasting solution.
“Simply limiting access to platforms that remain unsafe cannot stand as the endpoint,” he said.
Türk also warned that age-based social media bans can often be bypassed by children and may unintentionally push young users toward less regulated online spaces where risks may be even greater.
The warning comes amid growing global efforts to regulate children’s use of social media.
Australia introduced a law in December 2025 barring children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Similar measures have since been adopted by Indonesia and Malaysia, while more than a dozen countries are reportedly considering related legislation.
Supporters of such restrictions argue that children need stronger protection from harmful online content, cyberbullying, online predators and addictive digital features.
Critics, however, say blanket bans could limit children’s access to education, information and social interaction while failing to address the root causes of online dangers.
Speaking in Geneva, Peggy Hicks, Director of Thematic Engagement and Special Procedures at the OHCHR, said technology companies must take greater responsibility for protecting young users.
According to her, companies face a choice between improving the safety of their platforms voluntarily or facing stricter regulations and financial penalties from governments.
“Change how their platforms are designed and operated to better protect children’s rights and safety, or be forced to do so through increasingly restrictive legislation and regulatory fines,” Hicks said.
She also noted that rapid technological developments, especially in artificial intelligence, chatbots and emerging digital tools, require regulators to remain flexible and responsive.
“We need to collect the evidence and adapt quickly to what we learn,” she added.
At the centre of the UN framework is the belief that children’s safety should be built directly into platform design rather than leaving children and parents to manage risks on their own.
The organisation said technology companies should adopt a “safety by design” approach, ensuring that products are created with child protection as a priority from the beginning.
The first recommendation in the framework calls for governments to require online platforms to eliminate harmful design features that encourage excessive use. These include endless scrolling, automatic video playback and constant notifications that keep users engaged for long periods.
The UN also urged governments to ensure that all online regulations are grounded in children’s rights. According to the framework, children should enjoy the same rights online as they do offline, including access to information, freedom of expression and participation in decisions that affect them.
Another major recommendation focuses on data privacy. The organisation said children’s personal information should receive the highest level of protection and warned against commercial profiling and targeted advertising aimed at young users.
The framework also calls for mandatory child rights impact assessments whenever companies introduce major new technologies, features or services. These assessments would help identify potential risks before products are launched.
On age verification, the UN acknowledged that some systems may be necessary but warned that strict safeguards must be in place to prevent privacy violations and discrimination.
The organisation said age verification systems should be transparent, accountable and designed in ways that do not exclude children who may lack formal identification documents.
The framework further recommends that age restrictions should be targeted at specific harmful services rather than imposed broadly across entire platforms.
For example, restrictions could focus on access to gambling content, pornography, certain artificial intelligence tools or features known to encourage addictive behaviour.
Another key element of the guidelines is the inclusion of children’s voices in policymaking.
The UN stressed that children should be consulted when governments are developing regulations that affect their online experiences. Their views should also be considered when assessing whether regulations are working effectively.
The framework also calls for greater transparency from technology companies regarding how content is recommended, moderated and promoted to users.
According to the UN, regulators, researchers and the public should have access to information that allows independent examination of platform practices.
In addition, governments are encouraged to establish strong oversight systems and meaningful penalties for companies that fail to comply with safety standards.
Finally, the organisation emphasised the need for continuous research and evidence gathering.
It said regulators must remain open to new information as technology evolves and should regularly review policies to ensure they remain effective.
The UN concluded that protecting children online requires a balanced approach that goes beyond simple access restrictions.
According to the agency, blanket bans may appear attractive but often fail to solve deeper problems while creating new risks.
Instead, it argued that safer platform design, stronger accountability, better privacy protections and greater involvement of children in decision-making offer a more sustainable path toward creating a safer digital environment.