ORLANDO, Fla. — Cyber-safety experts are raising concerns about whether social media companies are doing enough to protect children and teens online after new research found that more than half of tested child safety features did not work as advertised.
Researchers examined safety tools designed to help protect young users, including features meant to limit exposure to harmful content, manage privacy settings, and give parents more control over online activity.
The study found that many of those protections failed during testing, raising questions about whether families can rely on the tools promoted by social media platforms.
“Parents and caregivers need to know that the safety features they’re depending on actually work,” experts say, warning that gaps in protection could leave children vulnerable to inappropriate content, unwanted interactions, or other online risks.
Social media companies are pushing back against the findings.
The platforms say their child safety features are working as intended and argue that the tests do not reflect how children and teens typically use their apps.
Company representatives say the research may not account for the many layers of safety measures already in place, including parental controls, age-based settings, content moderation systems, and user reporting tools.
The debate comes as lawmakers, parents, and technology experts continue to examine how social media platforms protect younger users.
With children spending more time online, advocates say stronger transparency and independent testing are needed to make sure safety features deliver the protection families expect.
For parents, experts recommend regularly reviewing privacy settings, talking with children about online behavior, and using available parental controls while companies and researchers continue to debate how effective those tools really are.
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