UN Human Rights Chief Urges Regulation of Online Platforms to Protect Children, Rejects Blanket Social Media Bans

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on May 30 called upon governments and technology companies to adopt effective regulatory frameworks for online platforms to better safeguard children's rights in the digital environment. The appeal was accompanied by a set of recommendations outlining key components of child-centred online regulation.

In a statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Türk emphasized that many online harms experienced by children are not inevitable consequences of technology but result from deliberate design choices made by platform operators. Features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay functions, and constant notifications were identified as mechanisms intended to maximize user engagement and potentially encourage addictive behaviour.

The High Commissioner argued that effective regulation should focus on the design and operation of digital platforms rather than relying solely on age-based restrictions. He proposed ten regulatory measures, including stronger protections for children's personal data, mandatory human rights due diligence by technology companies, increased transparency regarding algorithmic systems, and proportionate age-related safeguards targeted at specific risks.

The recommendations are grounded in the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which requires states to prioritize the best interests of the child in all actions affecting children. The framework further emphasizes respect for children's evolving capacities, participation rights, and the principle of non-discrimination.

Türk expressed concern over the increasing trend among governments to impose blanket social media bans on minors. While acknowledging the need to address online risks, he stated that broad prohibitions fail to tackle the underlying causes of harm, namely platform architecture and algorithmic practices. According to the High Commissioner, restricting access to platforms that remain fundamentally unsafe cannot by itself constitute an effective child-protection strategy.

The statement comes amid growing international debate regarding regulation of children's online activity. Australia implemented a nationwide social media ban for underage users in December 2025 and has since required technology companies to report the number of underage accounts removed from their platforms. However, concerns regarding enforcement have persisted, with Australia's online safety regulator reporting widespread non-compliance with age-verification requirements

in April 2026. Separately, an Australian court recently imposed a monetary penalty on social media platform X for failing to adequately disclose measures aimed at preventing child exploitation.

Several other jurisdictions, including Greece, France, Spain, Indonesia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and certain states within the United States, have adopted or proposed similar restrictions on minors' access to social media platforms. In the United States, regulatory efforts have increasingly focused on platform design features alleged to encourage compulsive usage among young users.

The debate has also generated criticism from civil society organizations. On the same day as Türk's statement, ARTICLE 19 urged Malaysia to withdraw a proposed blanket social media ban for minors, arguing that such measures are disproportionate and risk infringing rights to privacy and freedom of expression.

The High Commissioner's intervention highlights an emerging international consensus that child online safety must be addressed through rights-based regulation of digital platforms, while balancing children's rights to access information, participation, privacy, and freedom of expression.