Navigating Social Media: Age Limits and Safety Measures for Children and Youth
Government Official in Charge of Justice Advocates for Defined Age Limit for Online Networking Platforms - Government Official in Charge of Justice Announces Definitive Age Limit for Social Networking Sites
Strike a balance for a safe and bully-free digital space, urges Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig. Addressing the German Press Agency, Hubig emphasized that children and teens need protection, not pressure to self-promote.
Implementing a clear and robust age limit for social media usage safeguards children's privacy and enhances healthy development. Simultaneously, parents would find relief as constant discussions about their children's online activities could become a thing of the past.
Preliminary findings, both in Germany and abroad, suggest that age restrictions lead to a reduction in bullying, enhanced concentration, and increased social interaction among students [1][3].
Coalition Agreement and Expert Commission
The CDU, CSU, and SPD coalition agreement has set forth the establishment of an expert commission to investigate the impact of digital media on children and young people. Minister Hubig supports her colleague, Federal Minister of Education Karin Prien (CDU), in her swift advancements in this area. Recently, Minister Prien advocated for a legally binding age verification system [2].
Several European countries have already implemented mobile phone bans in primary schools, with differing rules in play. The debate around more effective age verification for social media users is also escalating at the EU level [1].
Europe's Proposed Age Limits and Age Verification
- According to six EU countries like Spain, France, Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, and Cyprus, a uniform minimum age for minors to access social media platforms is essential. A common age has yet to be proposed at the EU level, but individual countries like France and Spain have set a minimum access age of 15 and 16, respectively [1].
- To ensure unobtrusive age validation, the European Union plans to release an age-verification app in July 2025. This app will permit users to confirm they are over 18 without revealing their exact age, thus safeguarding the privacy of minors [3][4][5].
- The EU is also working on introducing a digital identity wallet in 2026 to bolster online security and privacy for users across the region [5].
Protecting Children and Young People Online
- These measures aim primarily to insulate minors from potential psychological and social risks inherent in social media, such as exposure to inappropriate content and interactions with unknown users [4].
- The EU encourages social media companies to prioritize user safety by designing platforms that prioritize privacy, security, and protection for minors rather than relying on government intervention [5].
The global focus is to protect young people from the potential perils of social media while ensuring that online platforms are secure, responsible, and conducive to positive development.
- The EU, following the lead of several member states like Spain, France, Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, and Cyprus, is advocating for a uniform minimum age for minors to access social media platforms, with France and Spain setting this minimum age at 15 and 16, respectively.
- In an effort to protect children and young people online, the European Union plans to release an age-verification app in July 2025, which will allow users to confirm they are over 18 without revealing their exact age, safeguarding the privacy of minors.
- To further bolster online security and privacy, the EU aims to introduce a digital identity wallet in 2026, with a focus on promoting responsible and secure online platforms that prioritize the protection of minors. This wallet is intended to address potential psychological and social risks inherent in social media, such as exposure to inappropriate content and interactions with unknown users.
