“Children have the right to protection, but they also have the right to information, freedom of expression, and play,” the organization said.
“Blanket bans are not a sustainable solution because they place the burden of online safety primarily on children while overlooking the responsibilities of governments, digital platforms, parents, and other adults to create safer online environments,” it added.
The group noted that Australia’s implementation of its under-16 social media ban has encountered challenges, including technical limitations in enforcement, privacy concerns over age verification, and the risk of children migrating to less regulated online platforms.
Save the Children said it is participating in the House of Representatives Committee on the Welfare of Children’s Technical Working Group alongside other civil society organizations to help develop more balanced online safety measures.
Among the proposals being discussed are stronger age assurance and verification systems, age-appropriate platform design and content, greater accountability for digital platforms, and improved parental controls to better protect children online.
The statement came after the PNP said it was studying the possibility of restricting social media use among minors as part of broader efforts to shield children from harmful online content.
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