People vs Big Tech | Youth online safety research and advocacy

Shared Planet is working with People vs Big Tech, a movement of 140 civil society organisations and concerned citizens working together to challenge the power and abuses of Big Tech.

This project addresses the critical intersection of youth mental health and social media design, examining how platforms like Instagram systematically harm young people through exploitative business models and addictive design features. Led by the "People vs Big Tech" movement and its youth-led initiative “Ctrl+Alt+Reclaim," this comprehensive analysis reveals the urgent need for regulatory intervention and platform accountability.

The project’s primary goals are to: 1) expose platform accountability by demonstrating how social media companies knowingly harm youth, 2) advocate for regulatory reform, pushing for stronger EU-wide protections and enforcement, 3) amplify youth voices and centre young people's experiences and solutions in policy discussions, and 4) demand platforms redesign for user wellbeing over profit.