Regulate platform design for minors instead of banning access
Young people can keep accounts, but platforms must switch off the features most linked to harm for users under a set age. Examples include infinite scroll and autoplay, recommendation algorithms built to maximise engagement, notifications at night, and contact from strangers. Supporters argue that the harm comes from the design, not from being online at all. They say this approach keeps teenagers' access to friends, information and communities and is easier to justify legally than a blanket ban.
Reasons
- 1.
Bans are easy to get around, so rules that apply to every account protect more teens than a ban does.
- 2.
The harm is linked to specific features such as endless feeds, autoplay and night-time notifications, not to being online as such.
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