European Youth Organizations Urge Safety Over Social Media Ban for Children
Thirty European youth organizations, including Ireland's National Youth Council, oppose social media bans for children, advocating instead for safer platforms. They argue bans are ineffective and remove vital support for marginalized youth. Experts recommend regulating digital products with independent age verification, rather than implementing bans, which are easily circumvented and fail to address unsafe product design.
Thirty European youth organizations, including the National Youth Council of Ireland, have sent an open letter to European policymakers, urging them not to ban young people from social media but to make platforms safe. They argue that social media are vital for marginalized youth, offering access to information, community, and support.
Experts like Noeline Blackwell from Children’s Rights Alliance and the Online Health Taskforce, which made 10 recommendations, agree that a ban is not a meaningful solution. Instead, they advocate for regulating digital products before they reach children, similar to the CE mark for toys. This involves an online classification board setting criteria for platforms and robust, independent age verification mechanisms.
Despite this, Ireland’s Minister Patrick O’Donovan, responsible for online safety during Ireland’s EU presidency starting in July, has indicated a potential ban for children under 16 if no EU-level agreement is reached. This follows similar measures in at least eight other European countries. However, early evidence from Australia suggests such restrictions are easily circumvented and do not address the core issue of unsafe product design.
Children’s Ombudsman Niall Muldoon emphasizes designing products with children’s rights and welfare in mind, rather than maximizing addiction and profit. The organizations stress that children want protection, not exclusion, and that making platforms safe is the actual solution, not a ban.