In an open letter to Facebook, which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Pinterest, Anne Longfield said social media companies had expanded rapidly in recent years, and she questioned if owners of such platforms still had "any control" over their content.
"If that is the case, then children should not be accessing your services at all, and parents should be aware that the idea of any authority overseeing algorithms and content is a mirage," said Longfield.
Her comments follow an appeal made by the father of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing disturbing content about suicide on social media.
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