The United Nations says all social media platforms, not just Meta, must adopt strict new safety rules to protect children online.
Global leaders at the United Nations are calling for major changes across all social media companies after tech giant Meta agreed to set strict safety rules for children.
International experts and policy leaders announced on Thursday, August 27, 2026, that changing only Facebook and Instagram is not enough to keep young people safe online.
The global organization warned that every single social media company, including TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, must follow the same strict safety standards so children do not face danger when switching between different mobile apps.
The main reason for demanding global rules right now is that Meta recently agreed to pay up to eighteen billion dollars to settle a massive US legal battle.
State leaders accused Meta of building addictive features that kept young children hooked late into the night, leading to severe mental health struggles.
Under Meta’s new safety setup, teenagers will face automatic 2 hour daily time limits, a full ban on late night app notifications, and the removal of features like post likes and facial beauty filters that make young people feel bad about themselves.
The United Nations states that unless every social media app adopts these same rules, children will simply leave Instagram to spend hours on other unsafe platforms.
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For many years, parents and children’s rights advocates have complained that app companies intentionally design addictive features to earn money from screen time.
Children often stay awake scrolling through videos instead of sleeping, while seeing endless posts that cause worry, fear, and low self esteem.
The UN wants government leaders around the world to pass strong laws that mandate child safety settings by default on every app download, rather than waiting for tech firms to fix problems after being sued in court.
Calling on all tech platforms to adopt responsible safety standards, digital safety experts emphasized that protectable rights should apply everywhere.
Highlighting the urgent need for industry wide changes, international child safety representatives noted that “protecting children online cannot be left to just one company or one single court deal”.
Explaining how digital platforms affect young minds, safety officials stated that “all social media platforms must take equal responsibility by turning off addictive features and making safety the default setting for every child”.
Governments in Europe and America are already preparing new digital safety legislation. The goal is to make sure every phone app is built with safety locks that protect young users from online harm.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
