In December 2025, I interviewed Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director of the 5Rights Foundation, for Alliance. We spoke about a concern that was beginning to receive much more political attention: how to protect children online without denying that the digital world is also a place where they learn, participate, build relationships and exercise their rights.

One thing from that discussion remained with me: merely keeping children offline is not enough when it comes to protecting them; we must also examine the products they use, the business models associated with them, and the design choices which can put them at risk.

In the months since I spoke with Barrington-Leach, suggestions aimed at limiting children’s access to social media have become more and more frequent. People concerned about the addictive design, the harmful content, and its effect on mental health are urging governments to take action. Some governments, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and Turkey, have already enacted social media bans for under-16s, with at least six other nations considering implementing legislation of their own.

It is a legitimate concern and governments clearly do need to take action, but a ban might be too simplistic of a solution.

Philanthropy should take the opportunity to wade into the nuance of this debate. The sector should spend time on what different regulatory approaches can achieve, what the limitations of legislation are, and how they relate to the wider child-safety discussion.

With the right information and support, philanthropy has the opportunity to make a strong contribution to children’s online safety, while also making a space for them to learn and connect in the digital world.

Restrictions Gaining Support

For many years, tech companies put the main responsibility for safety on parents and children while designing their services with a focus on attracting attention and achieving commercial growth. The voluntary pledges achieved only limited outcomes, and regulators usually did not have the necessary authority or resources to take action.

Read the full article about philanthropy’s role in child online safety by Gastón Wright at Alliance Magazine.