The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the harms children face online are not inevitable but rather a result of deliberate commercial choices. Türk highlighted issues ranging from addictive design features to privacy violations.
Addictive Design Features
Volker Türk explained that the challenges children encounter regarding safety, privacy, and well-being online stem from design choices and business practices that undermine safety, including addictive design features such as infinite scroll, auto-play, and constant notifications.
The UN’s new guidance, titled “Getting Children’s Safety Online Right,” arrives as age-based social media restrictions become more common globally. Australia banned children under 16 from platforms in December 2025, with Indonesia and Malaysia taking similar actions, and over a dozen other countries considering comparable regulations.
Türk cautioned that such bans can be easily circumvented and risk pushing children into riskier, less regulated spaces. “Restricting access to unsafe platforms cannot be a standalone solution,” he stated.
Peggy Hicks, Director of the OHCHR’s Thematic Engagement and Special Procedures, indicated that technology companies now face a clear choice. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Hicks said, “They must change how their platforms are designed and operated to better protect children’s rights and safety – or be forced to do so by increasingly restrictive laws and regulatory penalties.”
The guidance calls for safety to be integrated into platform architecture from the outset, rather than leaving parents and children to manage risks independently. It also recommends mandatory child rights impact assessments, stringent oversight of age verification against privacy risks, and meaningful consultations with children themselves when developing regulatory responses.
Hicks emphasized that the rapidly evolving digital landscape, including the rise of AI and chatbots, necessitates agile and evidence-based policymaking. “We must collect evidence and adapt quickly to what we learn,” she said.
The full guidance is available from the OHCHR here. High Commissioner Türk’s video message can be viewed here.
