Health expert calls for accurate birth records to safeguard children online

Health expert Dr Emmanuel Aning has called for accurate birth records and stronger state-led measures to protect children from harmful content on social media and other digital platforms.

Speaking at the Child Online Protection Digital Parenting Forum, organised by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) as part of activities marking the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Dr Aning said the growing use of digital devices by children had created new challenges for parents and guardians.

He noted that although tablets and other digital tools had become useful learning resources, many children were using them for activities that could expose them to harmful online content.

“Most of the children have been given a tool without the necessary training, and it has become harmful to them,” he said.

Dr Aning argued that the state had a responsibility to introduce stronger safeguards, including measures to restrict children's access to certain social media platforms and applications until they were old enough to use them responsibly.

He said parents were struggling to keep up with rapidly changing technology, particularly as children were often more familiar with digital devices and their settings.

“If you ask a parent to go and block certain things, the password that he is using was created by the daughter or the son. So how do you tell that parent to go and block a site?” he questioned.

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He urged the state to prioritise digital education before introducing measures that place the responsibility for online safety largely on parents.

Dr Aning also called for accurate birth registration and reliable age-verification systems to prevent children from falsely presenting themselves as adults to access age-restricted platforms.

“If we have proper data from birth and other things, the child could be protected from that,” he stated.

He further observed that parents and guardians, particularly those with limited digital knowledge, could struggle to monitor children's online activities effectively.

According to him, while parents could advise their children against accessing inappropriate content, government intervention remained essential to provide adequate protection.

“Our role is just to admonish them not to do it. But whilst men slept, the enemy came in,” he said, describing the difficulties parents face when children use digital devices without direct supervision.

Dr Aning called for a coordinated approach involving the state, telecommunications companies, parents and other stakeholders to strengthen child online protection and ensure that digital technology remains beneficial to young users.

PAH/MA

Dr Aning calls for accurate birth records to safeguard children online