Reform of all social media should come with Meta changes, UN says
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has urged governments to reform the whole social media sector to make platforms safer for children, following Meta’s large settlement with US states. He said child safety should not depend on lawsuits or voluntary company action, and argued that comparable protections should be adopted across platforms including TikTok and YouTube.
Meta agreed to pay up to $18bn (£13.3bn) to 48 US states, Washington DC and three US territories over ten years, while not admitting wrongdoing. Its proposed safeguards include time limits and parental controls, although Türk said more was needed; his UN framework also calls for stronger privacy, age verification and safer design, while opposing outright bans on children using social media.
- UN calls for child-safety rules across all social media platforms.
- Meta’s settlement could reach $18bn over ten years.
- TikTok and YouTube face pressure to match Meta safeguards.
New here? Start with this
Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, two of the world’s largest social media platforms. Like TikTok and YouTube, they let people share and watch content, while using recommendation systems to keep users engaged; concerns about how these services affect children have led to legal and political scrutiny.
Volker Türk is the UN human rights chief, whose role includes urging governments to protect people’s rights. His call for common safeguards reflects a wider debate over who should be responsible for children’s safety online: technology companies, parents or governments.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Children’s safety should not depend on where they live or on whether families can pursue a lawsuit, so governments have a strong case for setting common safeguards across social media platforms. Rules on privacy, age checks and safer design could make companies accountable while allowing young people to use online services, rather than relying on voluntary measures or blanket bans.
The case against
Broad, uniform rules could impose costly obligations across platforms that differ in their services and risks, and measures such as age verification may create privacy concerns or restrict young people’s access to useful online spaces. A more cautious approach would favour targeted protections, parental tools and evidence about which interventions work, while leaving room for companies and families to adapt safeguards to different users and services.