Ban or protect? Socialites study new safety measures for minors
For teenagers, digital platforms are not simply tools for entertainment but spaces for relationships, confrontation, identity construction and daily presence. Conversations, content, fashions, social pressures and, increasingly, also delicate dynamics concerning well-being, privacy and safety pass through these environments. This is why the issue of the protection of minors online can no longer be addressed only as an educational or family matter, but also directly calls into question the responsibilities of the platforms. In recent months, the major digital operators have begun to strengthen their arsenal of tools dedicated to younger users. They have also done so in response to the growing anticipation of governments about the possibility of banning social media altogether for certain age groups. Australia started, followed by some European countries, such as Spain and the United Kingdom. Italia is not far behind, with the political debate intensifying after the episode of the stabbing of the teacher in the province of Bergamo.
From the point of view of the American giants, they have all been preparing to offer an experience closer to the needs of teenagers. Meta has focused on teenage accounts, profiles with stricter protections activated automatically and with more constraints for the under-16s, while TikTok continues to develop the family connection system to allow parents to support their children in managing time, privacy and security. Even WhatsApp, although not a social network in the strict sense of the word, fits right into this scenario as one of the apps most used by teenagers to chat, share content and participate in groups. For this reason, it has strengthened privacy, blocking, reporting and account protection features over the years. Snapchat, on the other hand, relies on a balance between family supervision, account protection and respect for minors' privacy.
In the Meta world, the main reference is the teenage accounts, introduced on Instagram and later extended to Facebook and Messenger, with protective settings automatically activated for teens. These serve to limit who minors can contact, what content they can see and how much
time they spend online. For those under 16, some changes also require parental or guardian approval. Meta also reports usage reminders and the activation of 'quiet mode' at night, in an attempt to reduce overuse and unwanted contact.
On TikTok the pivot is Family Pairing, giving parents and kids the opportunity to link their accounts and manage security settings together. Available controls include daily time limit, app usage summary, pause time slots, notification mute, a restricted mode, keyword filters and profile visibility management. Parents can also control comments, liked posts, blocked accounts, followers and following, while direct messages are only available from 16 years of age and up.
