Regulating digital realm for younger generations: Countries are competing to ensure minor's and teenagers' security on the web
In the digital age, the safety of children online has become a pressing concern for governments worldwide. This is evident in the recent global trends that emphasise robust age verification and content moderation to shield young users from harmful digital content.
In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act, which came into full force in late July 2023, introduces legal obligations for platforms likely accessed by children. These obligations include conducting Children’s Risk Assessments, implementing strong protections against harmful content, and applying "highly effective" age verification methods. Platforms are now required to use methods such as facial scans, photo IDs, credit card checks, or third-party verification services instead of simple self-certification.
Ofcom, the UK regulator, is enforcing these measures vigorously, investigating non-compliance particularly among adult content platforms, and prioritizing swift adherence by service providers. However, critics argue that while the Act represents a significant step, further work is needed to make children safer online.
Australia is following a similar path, with plans to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), expected to be implemented by December 2025. This age-restriction approach echoes efforts seen in the UK and elsewhere to limit young people's exposure to harmful online environments.
Singapore, one of the world's most connected nations, is also taking steps to protect its younger users. While there are no mandated age limits for social media, there are measures in place to protect younger users, including a Code of Practice requiring stricter safety tools on platforms and rules mandating age checks in app stores.
These trends illustrate a global shift towards legally mandated, comprehensive frameworks that combine technological safeguards with regulatory oversight, aimed at creating safer online spaces for children while navigating complex implementation issues. However, challenges remain, such as developing and enforcing effective age verification without overly intrusive or privacy-invasive methods, ensuring platform compliance, balancing child protection with freedom of expression, managing technological and ethical concerns related to biometric data and third-party verification, and addressing variability in global jurisdiction and the cross-border nature of digital platforms.
Emil Tan, a cybersecurity consultant, emphasizes the urgency of these issues, stating that the impact on young people has become impossible to ignore. The World Wide Web, now over 30 years old, has evolved into a fast-moving, highly interactive space, and children are growing up with devices from a young age. As such, it is crucial that we continue to work towards creating a safer digital environment for our future generations.
References: 1. BBC News (2023). Online Safety Bill: What is it and what does it mean for me? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58314729 2. The Guardian (2023). Online Safety Bill: what is it and why does it matter? [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/20/online-safety-bill-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter 3. The Australian (2025). Social media ban for under-16s to be law by December. [online] Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/social-media-ban-for-under-16s-to-be-law-by-december/news-story/a49a9e346e308b603c9b36f9851e2c9c 4. The Straits Times (2023). Social media age limits: How Singapore is protecting younger users [online] Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/technology/social-media-age-limits-how-singapore-is-protecting-younger-users 5. The New York Times (2023). Meta's Chatbots Are Learning to Be More Human. And That's a Problem. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/technology/meta-chatbots-ai.html
- The increasing focus on online safety in various countries indicates a global consensus on the need for robust measures in finance, technology, education-and-self-development, and politics, as the digital age necessitates protecting young users from harmful content.
- As governments worldwide establish and enforce legislation to safeguard children online, these initiatives have implications for the general-news sector, as debates around effective age verification, platform compliance, and ethical concerns related to biometric data and third-party verification often dominate headlines.
