Child Protection Groups Highlight Platform Design Flaws and Exploitation Risks

The Argentine organization Chicos.net says the design of digital platforms increasingly undermines parental control, with algorithms and interface choices encouraging children to bypass age limits and access inappropriate content. Laila Pokorski notes that measures such as raising the minimum age for social‑media use to 16 in Australia do not solve the underlying problem. Chicos.net advocates a "child‑rights‑based" design that prioritises wellbeing over profit, offers free resources for educators, and urges families to discuss tool use with children.

The platform Actuar es Urgente, working to combat child sexual exploitation, reports a 73 % rise in exploitation complaints over the past three years, with 89 % of victims being girls. It has identified typical tactics of perpetrators, including grooming, false promises of support or opportunities, and infiltration of daily environments such as schools and neighborhoods. The group urges heightened public awareness to detect these patterns and protect children.