Protecting Children Online An ‘Urgent Priority’: UN

The United Nations has declared protecting children online an urgent priority, urging states to hold tech giants accountable for embedding child safety into their platforms. UN rights chief Volker Turk stated that online harms result from design choices and business practices, not innate risks, and called for safer platform designs, data protection, and legal consequences for those responsible. Turk also advised against blanket social media bans, emphasizing the need for effective regulation, oversight, and remedy for violated rights, while cautioning against flawed age verification methods.