Moxii Africa representative Tumelo Hlaka highlighted the scale of data collection, citing research presented at the conference suggesting that social media companies may have collected about 82 million data points on a child by the age of 13.

“If something is free, you are the product,” Hlaka told delegates, calling for closer scrutiny of the commercial model underpinning digital platforms.

The commission also wants stronger protections against algorithmically served harmful content, livestreams and AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

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