The IEEE president has issued a direct challenge to engineers and technical professionals: treat online child safety as a design problem, not merely a policy debate. The call, published in IEEE Spectrum, argues that today's digital ecosystems were optimized for adult engagement, not for the one-third of global internet users who are under 18.
Children born after 2013 are the first generation fully immersed in digital systems that predate modern understanding of their influence on youth. According to UNICEF, these platforms shape daily life for millions of minors yet were architected without their needs in mind. The result, IEEE argues, is a landscape where addictive features and opaque data practices have become the norm.
Governments from Australia to the European Union are now responding with legislation targeting algorithmic systems, inappropriate content, and unchecked data collection. IEEE notes that for years, technology outpaced governance—but that dynamic is shifting as policymakers move to close the gap with design-focused regulations.
The engineering community holds a unique position to lead this reform, the article asserts. Rather than waiting for top-down mandates, IEEE argues that rigorous systems thinking and ethical foresight should be built into the development lifecycle of every product reaching young users.
Critics may argue that design-based solutions risk over-engineering for edge cases while stifling innovation and user autonomy. Yet IEEE counters that the consequences of inaction—addiction, data exploitation, and algorithmic harm—pose far greater risks to a generation growing up entirely online.