Better Internet for Kids

Do you ever wonder how your social media apps or your favourite TV shows’ platforms always know what to show you next? Recommender systems decide what kind of content or contact suggestions show up in users’ feeds – including explore pages – based on what they’ve liked, watched, clicked on, or decided to follow before.  

While this can be helpful, it can also lead kids and teens to see harmful or inappropriate images, videos, posts or commercial products.

What platforms should do:

• only show content that is age appropriate
• limit how much data is collected and used to make recommendations
• prioritise active user choices and feedback, like:
  • “Show me less/more of this”  
  • “I don’t want to see this
  • “I am not interested in this”
• avoid relying too much on passive feedback, like how long users watch or browse
• explain why something was recommended and how users can change it
• let users reset their feed completely and permanently
• make it easy to report unwanted content profiles — and ensure feedback actually changes what is shown
• make all recommender system settings child-friendly and accessible.

Search features should:

• block unsafe words or hashtags
• help children and teens choose what interests them most.

Recommender systems should empower kids, not overwhelm them. Giving young users control over what they see helps build safer, more positive online experiences.