UN urges urgent action to protect children online | Technology News

The call by governments and tech companies comes amid a global push for accountability and social media monitoring.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for immediate action to protect children online, calling for this to be “high priority”.

In a statement released on Friday, Volker Turk called for governments and technology companies to take stronger measures to keep online platforms safe.

“Increasing security children online is a very important thing,” he insisted.

The call comes amid a global push for greater accountability and monitoring of social media, with countries testing age-based restrictions and stricter laws, as well as cracking down on tech companies.

Along with the statement, the UN human rights office released guidelines aimed at improving the safety of children online and protecting their rights by implementing stricter laws.

These measures include safeguards related to age verification, formal assessment of children’s rights, and involving children in the development of regulatory solutions.

“We need to do more – by governments and companies – to ensure that platforms are safe by design, that data is protected, that those responsible for harm are held accountable, and that children’s rights and needs are fully respected,” said Turk.

He also said: “No matter what laws are established, it is important that we avoid unknowingly destroying other things.”

Turk added that the rules focus on the age of users at risk of leaving unchanged the design choices and algorithmic practices that make platforms insecure in the first place.

Banning children from using social media has increased worldwide following Australia’s ban on children under the age of 16 in December 2025.

Indonesia and Malaysia have also introduced age-based restrictions, while across Europe, many countries are considering banning children from using social media.

Austria said in late March that it plans to ban social media for children under 14, with legislation expected to be finalized by June. Denmark and France must also ban social media for children under 15.

Spain’s prime minister announced in early February that the country was planning to ban television for children under 16, while the United Kingdom is considering similar restrictions.

However, some child protection experts say bans alone don’t go far enough, calling for stricter laws that require tech companies to better control harmful content and platform design.

Chris Sherwood, head of Britain’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, previously called on governments to “ensure that harmful content is stopped at source” and that “platforms no longer use creative methods that keep young people busy”.