Key points
- The United Nations has urged governments and technology companies to urgently strengthen protections for children online.
- The UN warned that young people face growing risks from disinformation, online harassment, algorithmic bias and the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- More than eight in 10 young people aged 15 to 24 worldwide are now online.
- The UN warned against exposing children to poorly regulated AI systems and called for stronger safeguards.
- It identified manipulative digital designs, targeted advertising, “dark patterns” and loot boxes as risks that can encourage compulsive online behaviour.
- The organisation said children should be protected from online harms while also being included in digital policy discussions.
- The UN called on governments, technology companies, advertisers, media organisations and researchers to adopt stronger child-safety measures.
Main Story
The United Nations has raised concerns over the growing exposure of children and young people to unregulated Artificial Intelligence, online harassment, disinformation and other digital harms, urging governments and technology companies to strengthen safeguards.
The warning was contained in a new UN brief released ahead of International Youth Day, which highlighted the rapidly expanding use of digital platforms among young people.
According to the report, more than eight in 10 young people aged between 15 and 24 worldwide are now online, while internet use among young people in low-income countries is almost twice that of the general population.
The UN said the rapid expansion of digital technology had created opportunities for young people but also exposed them to risks including algorithmic bias, harmful AI-generated content, online harassment and the malicious use of artificial intelligence.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had earlier called for an AI Child Safety Pledge to strengthen protections for children, comparing emerging AI systems to untested medicine.
The UN brief said many online harms were not simply accidental but were partly linked to business models built around monetising attention, personal data, engagement and online spending.
It identified algorithms designed to encourage prolonged platform use, manipulative digital designs, “dark patterns,” and loot boxes as practices capable of encouraging compulsive online behaviour.
The Issues
The central concern is the ability of existing laws and regulatory systems to protect children from rapidly evolving digital technologies.
Children are particularly vulnerable because their habits, identities and relationships are still developing, while AI systems can generate harmful content and facilitate exploitation at a scale that may be difficult for parents and regulators to monitor.
The UN also raised concerns about targeted advertising and commercial surveillance, warning that increasingly hidden marketing techniques can manipulate children into online spending.
Another challenge is the tension between protecting young people from digital harms and ensuring that they are not excluded from conversations about technology, information integrity and public policy.
The report noted that young people are not only consumers of digital content but also creators, journalists, organisers, advocates and participants in public debate.
What’s Being Said
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Guterres called for stronger safeguards for children against poorly regulated AI systems.
“No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI.”
He added:
“When a child is harmed, the answer must never be ‘the algorithm did it’.”
Charlotte Scaddan, UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity
Scaddan stressed that protecting children and giving them a voice in digital policy should happen simultaneously.
“Protecting them and including them are not competing goals. We have to do both.”
The UN said young people could play an important role in addressing the wider digital information crisis and should therefore be included in policymaking on information integrity.
What’s Next
The UN is urging Member States to strengthen legal and policy frameworks for online child protection and ensure that emerging technologies are developed with children’s safety in mind.
Technology companies are expected to adopt stronger safeguards and child-centred platform designs, while advertisers are being urged to respect children’s rights and avoid exploitative commercial practices.
The UN also called on news organisations to better serve young audiences by promoting reliable information and strengthening their resilience against disinformation.
Researchers and policymakers are similarly being encouraged to involve young people in decisions concerning information integrity, online safety and the future of digital platforms.
Bottom Line
The UN’s warning highlights a growing global challenge: children are entering an increasingly AI-driven digital environment faster than safeguards are being developed. Protecting them will require stronger regulation, safer technology design and greater accountability from digital platforms and advertisers—while ensuring that young people themselves have a meaningful voice in shaping the digital world they inhabit.
