It is no surprise that children spend a lot of their time online; now, governments worldwide are trying to ensure their safety. This conversation is now catching on rapidly in Lebanon and across the broader Arabic-speaking world. This urgent policy objective should be achieved without breaching data protection, privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information. Banning social media platforms for kids under 16 years old is not the silver bullet to protect our kids from online threats; instead, our governments need to open a thoughtful conversation, including all stakeholders in society, to ensure that they are not taking the wrong decision.
This is not a simple problem to solve, and it has multifaceted layers of complexity that we need to identify, understand, and discuss to reduce threats to our children online and to clarify the roles of different stakeholders in solving such problems. Some ideas to take into consideration:
Banning social media platforms for kids under 16 years old is not the silver bullet to protect our kids from online threats
A child rights approach to digital protection
Children also have rights, and they are not only at risk online. Policies need to take this into consideration to ensure proportionality, and they need to balance safety with privacy, data protection, freedom of expression, and access to information.
We shouldn’t introduce policies that censor and restrict our children, but they must also be empowered to navigate online spaces.
Mandatory age-verification is a threat.
To apply a social media ban for children under 16 years old, tech companies will need to add surveillance-like software to collect sensitive personal data, including biometric data, to implement the age-verification requirements. This will lead to new risks of surveillance and data breaches.
Privacy and data protection as default
The safest approach is to limit data collection and retention from these tech companies. Governments should require platforms to minimize profiling and targeted advertising and provide safer default settings.
Privacy and data protection law
Governments need to adopt clear and comprehensive data protection laws before introducing new child-safety technologies. Also, having a data protection authority is essential to safeguard children’s and everyone’s personal data.
We shouldn’t introduce policies that censor and restrict our children, but they must also be empowered to navigate online spaces.
Exclusion
In our region, we have high numbers of marginalized groups like refugees, migrants, and stateless persons who may lack formal identification. These kinds of measures can undermine both privacy and access.
Proportional obligations for platforms
Not all platforms pose the same risks. Large, algorithm-driven services like Instagram or TikTok differ significantly from local platforms. Regulations must be proportionate to platform size and potential for harm, focusing oversight where it is most needed.
Educate parents and teachers
Protecting children online requires a soft approach by including parents, teachers, schools, families, etc.. We need to accept that we have a societal problem, and the solution is societal. Technology cannot solve this issue. Children also must be involved in solutions, focusing on education, digital literacy, and open dialogue. Empowerment is more effective than control.
To apply a social media ban for children under 16 years old, tech companies will need to add surveillance-like software to collect sensitive personal data, leading to new risks of surveillance and data breaches
Conclusion
Protecting children online is a shared responsibility. Governments, platforms, parents, and communities must collaborate to create safe digital spaces without sacrificing fundamental rights. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and blanket blocking will do more harm than good. The focus must be on thoughtful regulation, robust data protection, and empowering young people to thrive online.
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