The Belgian Safer Internet Centre joined the global SID celebrations in 2026 with a powerful, incisive open letter from the youth team. The letter includes key demands and recommendations for platform providers.
The open letter of the youth team
Dear teams behind the apps we use every day,
Your platforms are part of our lives – we learn, laugh and connect there. But they also expose us to real problems, and since we use them daily, we want to share what we experience.
Age verification doesn’t work. It’s easy to lie, and younger users access spaces that aren’t safe for them.
Privacy is unclear. Settings are hidden and rarely safe by default. Protection should be automatic, not something we have to hunt for.
Algorithms can be harmful. One wrong click can push us into spirals of extreme diets, violence, or sexual content, especially for the most vulnerable.
Reporting feels useless. Harmful content often stays online, and we rarely get feedback.
Hate and shocking content are everywhere. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, violent videos — they affect us deeply. And endless scrolling makes many of us dependent.
AI makes things even harder, with deepfakes and misleading information blurring what’s real.
We don’t want to leave social media – we want them to be safer. We see some improvements, but not enough.
So we ask you to act:
- Make age verification reliable.
- Make privacy simple and safe by default.
- Prevent algorithms from pushing harmful content.
- Improve reporting.
- Tackle hate and illegal content seriously.
- Protect mental health from toxic ideals and shocking videos.
- Be transparent about AI and prevent misuse.
Your platforms shape how we think and feel. With that influence comes responsibility – yours.
We’re not asking for perfection, but for safety to be a priority. Not later. Now.
With hope,
Young people using your platforms
The Belgian Safer Internet Centre joined the global SID celebrations in 2026 with a powerful, incisive open letter from the youth team. The letter includes key demands and recommendations for platform providers.
The open letter of the youth team
Dear teams behind the apps we use every day,
Your platforms are part of our lives – we learn, laugh and connect there. But they also expose us to real problems, and since we use them daily, we want to share what we experience.
Age verification doesn’t work. It’s easy to lie, and younger users access spaces that aren’t safe for them.
Privacy is unclear. Settings are hidden and rarely safe by default. Protection should be automatic, not something we have to hunt for.
Algorithms can be harmful. One wrong click can push us into spirals of extreme diets, violence, or sexual content, especially for the most vulnerable.
Reporting feels useless. Harmful content often stays online, and we rarely get feedback.
Hate and shocking content are everywhere. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, violent videos — they affect us deeply. And endless scrolling makes many of us dependent.
AI makes things even harder, with deepfakes and misleading information blurring what’s real.
We don’t want to leave social media – we want them to be safer. We see some improvements, but not enough.
So we ask you to act:
- Make age verification reliable.
- Make privacy simple and safe by default.
- Prevent algorithms from pushing harmful content.
- Improve reporting.
- Tackle hate and illegal content seriously.
- Protect mental health from toxic ideals and shocking videos.
- Be transparent about AI and prevent misuse.
Your platforms shape how we think and feel. With that influence comes responsibility – yours.
We’re not asking for perfection, but for safety to be a priority. Not later. Now.
With hope,
Young people using your platforms
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