Debate on minors' access to social media networks begins with three EU countries

Published on 11/06/2025 - 18:15 GMT+2

The European statement connected children's entree to societal media networks has begun, pinch 3 EU Member States promoting nan thought of a "digital majority" aliases nan property beneath which it would beryllium forbidden to link to specified platforms.

For France, Spain and Greece, nan extremity is to protect minors from vulnerable online content.

"Today, successful nan position and conditions of usage of these platforms, location is already a minimum property of 13," explains Clara Chappaz, nan French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and nan Digital Economy.

However, Chappaz says: "We've each been children, it's very easy to alteration your day of birth. And truthful nan existent strategy intends that, connected average, children are logging connected and creating accounts from nan property of 7-8."

France, Spain and Greece judge that nan algorithms utilized by societal networks expose nan very young to addictive contented that tin yet lead to accrued worry aliases depression.

They besides reason that excessive vulnerability whitethorn limit nan improvement of definite skills and impair cognitive abilities.

The EU presently has authorities successful spot successful nan shape of nan Digital Services Act (DSA), which tackles forbidden online contented specified arsenic dislike speech, coercion and kid pornography.

The rule has been successful spot for almost 2 years for larger platforms and hunt engines, and conscionable complete a twelvemonth for smaller organisations.

But for manufacture representatives successful Brussels, caller authorities appears premature.

"We judge that nan caller rules must first beryllium decently applied. We haven't yet seen each nan effects," says Constantin Gissler, Managing Director of Dot Europe, which represents online services and platforms successful Brussels.

"I deliberation it's a spot hasty astatine this shape to beryllium already discussing caller rules and I deliberation it's besides very important that we return much relationship of nan reality and implications for minors of specified a ban," he adds.

Paris, Madrid and Athens are besides proposing nan integration of property verification and parental power systems for devices connected to nan Internet.

The European Commission is presently moving connected an age verification application. Last period it published draught guidelines to protect minors, specified arsenic measures to verify nan property of users aliases to group children's accounts arsenic backstage by default.

It is besides conducting investigations against TikTok, Instagram and Facebook successful narration to nan protection of minors.