International Legal Mechanisms for Protecting Child Content Creators on Social Media

Abstract

With the expansion of social networks and digital technologies, children have increasingly become not only consumers of online content but also active content creators. This phenomenon provides educational, social, and creative opportunities for children, yet it simultaneously entails risks such as violations of privacy, economic exploitation, and psychological harm. Using a descriptive–analytical approach and based on documentary studies, this article examines the international legal mechanisms for protecting child content creators on social media. Key instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), its Optional Protocols, General Comment No. 25 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2021), and operational frameworks issued by UNICEF and UNESCO are analyzed. The core axes of the analysis include the protection of privacy and data, prevention of economic exploitation, ensuring equitable access to digital opportunities, informed participation, and the educational empowerment of children. The findings indicate that international law, by providing binding and non-binding instruments, has established a relatively comprehensive framework for the protection of children; however, challenges such as the rapid pace of technological change, weak international monitoring and reporting systems, and the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms continue to hinder the full realization of protective goals.