A new study from researchers at New York University and Northeastern University claims that at least half of safety features designed to protect children on social media platforms fail to deliver on their promises. Published by Heat Initiative and Cybersafety Research Center, the study tested 86 features across Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. According to the analysis, each platform had a failure rate of at least 50 percent for advertised protective features, such as those that prevent adults from messaging children or block underage accounts from accessing harmful content.
Tests simulated real behaviors of minors and adults
Researchers created dummy accounts mimicking children of various ages, along with adult accounts. Three scenarios were examined: a child using the platform naturally, a teen trying to bypass a safety feature, and a "malicious adult actor" attempting to circumvent protections on a teen account. The study deemed a feature a failure if it was too difficult to find in privacy settings, did not actually work as described, or was completely missing from the platform.
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Snapchat and Instagram showed the most critical issues
Tests revealed that adult accounts were able to "search for, find and message the child account with zero restrictions" on Snapchat. On Instagram, a teen account could "message an adult account they did not follow without any warnings." TikTok even suggested anorexia-related searches to teen accounts. Parent companies Snap, Meta and YouTube disputed the findings, but the New York Times reported it was able to replicate the results. A Meta spokesperson stated that "teens are seeing less sensitive content, experiencing less unwanted contact, and spending less time on Instagram at night" thanks to Instagram's Teen Accounts.
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Lawsuits and new legislation are mounting
Beyond this study, social media companies face lawsuits from school districts and individuals claiming harm. Many countries are pursuing social media bans for children; Australia recently doubled its maximum penalty for non-compliant companies. Meanwhile, initiatives like reserving a username on WhatsApp to avoid sharing phone numbers highlight growing privacy concerns, but current safety features remain inadequate. Experts call for stronger regulatory action to ensure platforms meet promised standards. For more context, see Wikipedia's page on child safety on the Internet.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2203983/half-of-social-media-child-safety-features-dont-work-report-claims
