Governments around the world are introducing new measures to protect children online, but Amnesty International warns that policies focused narrowly on social media bans and age restrictions could undermine children’s privacy, freedom of expression and participation.
The debate over children’s online safety has intensified as concerns about social media, artificial intelligence and Big Tech have moved into mainstream politics. However, children and young people themselves are often missing from the policy making process, despite being directly affected by these decisions.
Amnesty International argues that children should not be treated simply as vulnerable users who need protection from the internet. They should have a meaningful role in shaping the rules governing their digital lives. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes children’s right to be heard, yet their participation in digital policy discussions is frequently limited or tokenistic.
The organization says policymakers should address genuine online risks such as cyberbully, grooming, online violence and manipulative platform design without excluding children from digital spaces that provide access to education, information, communities and activism.
Age-verification systems introduced to enforce social media restrictions also raise concerns about privacy and surveillance. Children’s personal information is already collected across social media platforms, games, schools and other digital services. Greater reliance on age checks could create additional data trails and cybersecurity risks.
Amnesty International also highlights growing government surveillance and digital repression affecting young people. Recent youth-led protests in countries including India, Kenya, Bangladesh and Nepal have demonstrated how young people use digital platforms to organize and express their views, while governments have increasingly used technology to monitor or restrict such activities.
The organization is calling for children and young people to be meaningfully involved in digital policy making and for technology companies to involve them in product design. It also urges governments to strengthen digital literacy, protect privacy, limit manipulative design and establish stronger safeguards against state surveillance.
The central message is that protecting children online should not come at the cost of their rights. A safer digital future, Amnesty International argues, must give children both protection and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them.
