The ban aims to protect young people from online abuse, such as cyberbullying, exploitation and exposure to harmful content, all of which are harmful to their mental health and well-being.
Bans could backfire
As other governments contemplate similar measures, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that age-related restrictions alone will not keep children safe.
“While UNICEF welcomes the growing commitment to keeping children safe online, Social media bans carry their own risks and may even backfire.“the agency said in a statement.
For many children, particularly those who are isolated or marginalized, social media is a lifeline for learning, connection, play and self-expression, UNICEF explained.
Additionally, many will continue to access social media (for example, through workarounds, shared devices, or using less regulated platforms), which will only make it more difficult to protect them.
Protection and respect for human rights
“Age restrictions should be part of broader approach that protects children from harm, respects their rights to privacy and participation, and avoids pushing them into unregulated and less safe spaces,” the statement said.
“Regulation should not replace platforms that invest in child safety. Laws that introduce age restrictions are not an alternative for companies to improve platform design and content moderation.”
The UN human rights chief also weighed in during his year-end press conference in Geneva.
“We know how difficult it is for societies to address the question of how to keep children safe online,” Volker Türk said in response to a journalist’s question.
“It’s been a few years since we launched social media platforms, but I don’t think a human rights impact assessment was really done at the time they were launched.”
Make the Internet safe
UNICEF calls on governments, regulators and technology companies to work together with children and families to build a digital space that is safe, inclusive and respects children’s rights.
Authorities should ensure that age-related laws and regulations do not replace companies’ obligations to invest in safer platform design. and effective content moderation.
Additionally, social media products must be redesigned, putting children’s safety and well-being at the center, while regulators must have systemic measures in place to effectively prevent and mitigate online harms.
Support for parents
Other recommendations include helping parents and caregivers improve their digital literacy.
“They have a crucial role, but they are currently being asked to do the impossible to protect their children online: monitor platforms they did not design, control algorithms they cannot see, and manage dozens of apps 24 hours a day,” UNICEF said.
The UN human rights chief noted that countries are trying to keep up with technological advances and Australia is not alone in its response. The US state of California has a similar law to protect minors online, while the European Union is debating a bill.
“It is very important to continue monitoring what is working.what doesn’t work,” Türk said.
“But it is also very clear from a human rights perspective that the best interests of the child must be taken into account in all of this, including the protection and safety concerns that children face.”