NEW YORK, NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – On Aug. 12, the United Nations issued a statement emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen safeguards for children and young people amid escalating online threats. An official UN issue brief identifies disinformation, hate speech, harassment, algorithmic manipulation, and artificial intelligence as pressing issues. It also underscores risks related to data collection, behavioral advertising, and digital systems designed to capture attention. This alert coincides with the increasing dependence of youth on digital platforms for education, communication, information, and civic engagement.
Ahead of International Youth Day, the Department of Global Communications released the report, revealing that over 82% of individuals aged 15 to 24 are internet users worldwide. Such access fosters learning, civic involvement, and economic opportunities. Nevertheless, hazardous online environments can impact the cognitive, emotional, and social development of younger audiences. The report also emphasizes that children and teenagers are still honing the skills necessary to critically evaluate the information they encounter online.
The UN categorizes these threats into three groups: technology, distribution mechanisms, and harmful content. Risks related to technology include the misuse of digital tools and artificial intelligence. Distribution-related issues involve algorithms, digital inequality, and diminished access to independent journalism. Content-related dangers comprise disinformation, online harassment, and hate speech. The report notes that these challenges often intersect as technological advances influence how information is delivered and which content receives prominence across digital platforms.
Concerns mount over child safety on digital platforms
The brief emphasizes the role of major tech companies in designing digital services and generating revenue streams. It highlights how attention-driven algorithms can foster practices that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities. Data collection and behavioral advertising are also identified as tools that enable highly tailored marketing strategies. Exposure to extreme content and features that foster compulsive use are among the chief concerns. The report urges tech firms and AI creators to embed child rights and safety considerations into their product development processes.
Around the world, governments are exploring or implementing stricter rules to ensure online safety for minors. Measures such as age restrictions on social media are among the most debated solutions. However, the UN brief points out that such restrictions alone do not address the full spectrum of digital risks. It also notes that online spaces serve critical functions like education, social interaction, and emotional support. Youth-led organizations increasingly utilize digital platforms for advocacy, community building, and public participation, despite facing issues like harassment, surveillance, and disinformation.
UN advocates for AI safeguards as part of a comprehensive strategy
Artificial intelligence introduces additional challenges to online safety discussions. During the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced an AI Child Safety Pledge. He called on companies to conduct child-specific safety testing and to ensure independent oversight prior to deploying AI systems accessible to minors. The pledge also advocates zero tolerance towards AI-generated sexual imagery involving children, emphasizing the need for detection, reporting, and removal of such content across digital platforms.
The United Nations stresses that safeguarding young people requires coordinated efforts among governments, tech companies, advertisers, researchers, educators, and civil society. Its strategy also underscores the importance of involving children and youth in decisions that shape digital environments. The brief incorporates five UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, which focus on trust, creating healthier incentives, empowering the public, supporting independent media, promoting transparency, and advancing research. The organization maintains that while stronger protections are essential, young users should still have opportunities to learn, communicate, produce content, and engage in public life online.