Report recommends legislation to limit predatory design features online

Legislation that would mandate the limiting of predatory design features and introduce mechanisms to reduce harm to children on social media platforms should be brought in, a committee has recommended.

The Joint Committee on Children and Equality has published its report on ‘Technology, social media and children’, which focuses on the safety of children online.

The report also recommended that a mandatory age classification system be established for all digital products and services based on the risk they pose to child development.

The report outlines the harms and risks identified by stakeholders as well as young people.

The Committee said it engaged with 34 stakeholders during seven public meetings held between December 18 2025 and May 7 2026.

The committee also spoke to children and young people as part of the research.

Among its recommendations was that legislation be introduced that would operationalise safety by design by mandating the adoption of approaches that limit predatory design features and embed behavioural design into platform design, and features that reduce harm to children.

It further recommended mandating the disabling by default of addictive features for minors, including infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic amplification of harmful content, and behavioural profiling.

It said that consideration should be given to strengthening regulation and accountability, particularly in relation to platform design.

This includes recommender systems and algorithmic amplification to ensure the safety of children and young people and the “prioritisation of their rights”.

A mandatory age classification system be established for all digital products and services based on the risk they pose to child development, the report added.

It said this is similar to age limits that apply to toys, films and any other commercial products and services that may be engaged with by children.

It further said that blocking underage access to content at a national level should be prioritised.

Chairwoman of the committee, Keira Keogh, said: “Online platforms present significant and evolving risks, with online harms increasingly resulting in real-world impacts on children, families, and communities.

“During engagement with the committee, social media platforms and service providers identified a number of features and tools that have been developed and introduced to protect children and young people and to provide age-appropriate experiences online.”

Research shows that some 93% of children aged eight to 12 own a smart device and 97% aged 12 to 14 own a smartphone.

Some 37% of nine to 10-year-olds reported daily use of smartphones, rising to 60% of 11 to 12-year-olds, 85% of 13 to 14-year-olds and 91% of 15 to 17-year-olds.

The research also shows that average time spent online for nine to 17-year-olds was 2.1 hours per day for weekdays and 3.4 hours per day at the weekend, and usage increased with age, with 15 to 17-year-olds spending an average of 3.2 hours online per day

Some 71% of children aged eight to 12 have an account on a 13+ social media/instant messaging app, and this increases to 99% of children and young people aged 12 to 15.

According to the report, the committee said robust engagement from online platforms, EU institutions, regulators and legislators is “essential” to creating a safer digital environment for children.

“Strong and effective legislation, underpinned by clear regulatory frameworks, is required to set high standards for online safety and accountability,” it said.

“Achieving meaningful and lasting protection for children online will require all stakeholders to work collectively and collaboratively, ensuring that policies, enforcement measures and industry practices are aligned in the best interests of children and young people.”