The fifth session of the Intellectual Interaction Meetings series, organized at Ibn Haldun University, was held on April 29, 2025, under the title “Being a Child on Social Media: Protection or Restriction?” The event was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Faruk Erol from the Faculty of Law.
Dr. Gülnihal Ahter Yakacak, Director of the Ibn Haldun University Center for International Law and Human Rights (UHAM), participated as a speaker and addressed the current legal debates surrounding children's presence in digital spaces. In her presentation, Dr. Yakacak emphasized that age restrictions for social media platforms are increasingly being discussed in many countries and stressed the need for a digital framework centered on the best interests of the child.
She highlighted the importance of recognizing children as independent individuals and reminded the audience that the right to internet access is considered a fourth-generation human right. Dr. Yakacak also underlined the protective role that digital literacy education can play for both children and parents.
The event concluded successfully by bringing attention to current approaches for protecting children's rights in the age of social media.
