UN warns social media bans alone won't keep children safe

Bans or age restrictions on social media use are not enough on their own to protect minors from the harmful effects of the platforms, UN experts said on Friday, arguing that the companies and their algorithms must also face stricter safeguards.

"States need to require tech companies to embed safety into their platforms by design, instead of shifting the burden to parents and children," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said.

"Blanket social media bans are not a one-off panacea for what is a multifaceted issue," Türk said as his office published new recommendations for governments and tech companies aimed at strengthening the protection of children online.

According to the guidelines, governments should introduce stronger regulation while technology companies should take greater responsibility for the design of their platforms. Platforms should be built with safety in mind, and those responsible for harm should be held accountable.

The UN rights office also called for action against what it described as "addictive design" features, such as infinite scroll, autoplay and persistent notifications. It said strict rules should also govern online advertising.

Australia introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16 last December, and several governments have since announced plans for similar measures, including Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Austria.

Türk said safeguards were also needed for age-verification systems. "Age verification done wrong can both fail at its goal and endanger the privacy of both kids and adults," he said.