Protecting children from the dangers of social media requires a multifaceted approach, including education, awareness-raising, technological support, artificial intelligence and regulation. Many countries have introduced a variety of strategies to enhance children's safety online and on social media platforms. Below are examples of countries with good practices in this area.

1. The United Kingdom

• Regulations: The UK has a Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code), which requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children online. Sites must minimize the collection of personal data and offer safe default settings for users under 18.
• Education and awareness: Childnet runs educational programs that teach children and young people how to use the Internet safely, and supports teachers and parents.
• AI and technology: Artificial intelligence-based tools to monitor online threats, such as systems that detect hate speech and cyberbullying, are supported.

2 United States

• Regulation: The U.S. has implemented COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), which places strict restrictions on the collection of personal information of children under 13 by online services.
• Education: The NetSmartz program run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers educational materials on online child safety, including interactive educational tools for schools.
• AI and technology: Many ISPs and social media providers use artificial intelligence-based algorithms to automatically block inappropriate content and monitor behavior to identify risky online interactions.

3 Australia

• Regulation: the eSafety Commissioner is a body with broad authority to protect children online. It has policies aimed at the swift removal of content harmful to children and supports families in learning digital safety.
• Education: Australia has an extensive education program called eSafety, which helps schools and parents understand online risks and make the Internet safer for children.
• AI and technology: Australia is investing in AI-based tools that help identify and block inappropriate content, such as violent or sexual material.

4 Germany

• Regulation: Germany has introduced the NetzDG (Network Enforcement Act), which forces social media platforms to quickly remove illegal content, including content harmful to children.
• Education and awareness: Educational programs, such as klicksafe, are funded by the government and help raise awareness of digital risks among children and young people.
• AI and technology: Germany is working with technology companies to develop tools to monitor and block harmful content, using artificial intelligence and data analytics.

5 Norway

• Regulation: Norway is implementing the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in full force, specifically protecting children from excessive collection of personal data by social media platforms.
• Education and awareness: Norway runs comprehensive digital safety education programs, such as Trygghet på nett, which teach children and parents how to use the Internet safely.
• AI and technology: Norway is investing in artificial intelligence to monitor content and prevent abuse on digital platforms, with a focus on protecting children's privacy.

6 South Korea

• Regulation: South Korea has strict regulations that require social media platforms to verify users' ages and restrict children's access to adult content.
• Education: Educational programs covering digital safety are an integral part of school education. The Korea Communications Commission conducts awareness campaigns on cyber threats to children.
• AI and technology: South Korea is using modern technology, including AI, to monitor children's online activities, block access to harmful content, and detect incidents of cyberbullying.

7 France

• Regulation: France has initiated a law banning children under the age of 13 from registering on social media platforms, such as Facebook, without parental consent. The Loi Avia law requires platforms to quickly remove illegal content.
• Education and awareness: Educational programs such as Internet Sans Crainte raise children's awareness of online safety, with an emphasis on cyberbullying and privacy.
• AI and technology: France is working with technology companies to implement algorithms that detect harmful content and protect children from cyberbullying.

Best practices in protecting children from online threats include:

• Regulation: Introducing laws to limit children's access to inappropriate content and requiring age verification.
• Education: Educational programs that teach children and teens how to use the Internet safely and how to respond to threats.
• AI: Using artificial intelligence to monitor and moderate online content, automatically detect threats, and counter cyberbullying.
• Technological support: Parental control tools and technologies that block access to harmful sites.

These examples show that effective child protection on social media requires cooperation between governments, educational institutions, technology companies and parents.

Regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Dear Professor Dariusz Prokopowicz

Thank you very much for your detailed answer.

Poland is a country that attracts people with its magnificent nature and wonderful architecture. Polish people are tolerant, understanding and helpful like you.

While I was at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun between 2019-2020, I had the opportunity to travel and see at least half of Poland. Poland is my second country. I convey my greetings from Turkey to Warsaw/Poland.

Thank you for this detailed answer, again. I wonder how the situation is in your country, Poland? Do you have any information about Poland's approach to this issue? If you have it, I would be happy if you share it.

Education Programs: Finland and Australia promote digital literacy for safe internet use.

Legal Regulations: EU's GDPR and USA's COPPA protect children’s data and privacy.

Parental Controls & AI: South Korea uses AI tools to monitor screen time and filter content.

Awareness Campaigns: UK's "ThinkUKnow" and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner focus on online safety education.

Dear Subharun Pal

Thanks a lot for your answer.

In this regard, I am especially curious about the policies followed by countries such as the USA, England, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. You gave important information. Thank you very much!

Social media ban isn’t ‘liked’ by researchers

"A year from now, children under the age of 16 in Australia will be barred from many social-media platforms — the highest minimum-age limit in the world. The government hasn’t said which platforms will be off-limits, but the legislation will include those that allow users to post content and interact with two or more users, such as Snapchat and TikTok. Many parents have applauded the approach, but some researchers question the law’s enforceability and say there is minimal evidence that it will keep children safe from online harm..."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03955-5

Dear Ljubomir Jacić

Thank You very much for your ansfer.

I read the article you quoted and it was very useful.

Now Turkey is preparing to take a step similar to this step taken by Australia.

I think this initiative of Australia can be a source of inspiration for many other countries.

Thank you very much.

Best Regards

Don’t ban social media — learn to live with it

There are better ways to keep kids safe...

"Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s is a “blunt instrument” that could cause children to feel unable to talk to their parents about their online lives, writes cyberbullying expert Marilyn Campbell. She argues instead that governments should invest in studies to determine best practices for parents to educate their children and regulate their screen time. In the meantime, parents should be helped using the available evidence. “Supporting children as they navigate the online world is similar to guiding them in the real one,” Campbell writes. “And that means that parents must also understand social media.”..."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00051-0