Youth Protection Beyond the Headlines

The debate on teenagers and social media seems to be stuck in a cycle of headlines and hardlines. Blanket bans are often proposed as a solution, yet high circumvention rates show this might push teens to less safe spaces rather than protecting them. So, what actually works for effective youth protection online? 

Finding applicable solutions requires honest conversation between those who write the rules, those who build the technology, those who study its effects, and those who raise the children using it. 

Rather than talking about each other, this session brings key actors together for a candid, constructive discussion. We aim to move past slogans and sketch out what effective, rights-respecting youth protection can look like – not just on social media, but across the digital services young people actually use.