UN warns that protecting children and adolescents in the digital environment is an 'urgent priority' and that limiting age is not enough

Children on cell phones
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Ensuring the safety of children and adolescents in the digital environment is an "urgent priority", said this Friday (29) the United Nations (UN), warning of the limitations of age restrictions recently approved in different countries.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, online abuse is linked to the very functioning of digital platforms. In a statement, he criticized features considered addictive, such as infinite scrolling, automatic video playback and constant notifications.
"Online abuse is the result of design decisions and business practices that compromise security," said Türk. "Strengthening the protection of children online is an urgent priority, but it needs to be done in the right way," he added.
More than 10 million children in low- and middle-income countries have already suffered sexual abuse on the internet
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The UN representative defended that governments and companies adopt broader and more effective measures. For him, restricting minors' access to platforms considered dangerous "cannot be an end in itself" if applications continue to operate with algorithms and mechanisms that encourage excessive use.
Australia banned, in 2025, access for minors under 16 years of age to several social networks, a measure that aroused the interest of other countries. In France, the Senate approved a bill to prohibit the use of these platforms by children under 15.
Türk, however, stated that focusing only on age limits does not change the systems and operating models that made the platforms harmful to children and adolescents. According to him, technology companies must incorporate protection mechanisms "from the design" of their products, instead of transferring responsibility to parents and users.
The high commissioner also warned that bans can be easily circumvented and expressed concern about the possibility of minors migrating to even more risky and less supervised platforms.
The UN Human Rights office published ten guidelines to increase the safety of children and adolescents on the internet. Among the recommendations is the automatic adoption of maximum data protection settings for minors. The document also argues that micro-segmentation of children for commercial purposes, based on digital traces, should not be allowed.
Child plays with cell phone in Ribeirão Preto, SP anxiety screens
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Source: G1