Possible minimum age for social media to be put on EU agenda

Aarhus, Denmark (dpa) – A possible minimum age for the use of social media is to be discussed at a European level, Danish Minister for Europe Marie Bjerre announced.

Denmark is currently holding the rotating European Union presidency and in charge of hosting discussions of EU ministers.

It was visible how social media affects children and well-being, Bjerre told journalists in Aarhus. This was probably the only area where more regulation was needed, she said.

In Germany, a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov recently revealed that more than 70 percent of respondents would like to see a minimum age for access to social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok.

According to the survey, 57 percent said they were in favour of a minimum age of 16 for using social media, while 16 percent were even of a minimum age of 18.

Germany split on possible ban

The issue however is controversial among German politicians.

While German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, from the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD), is in favour of an age limit, conservative Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) leader Markus Söder argued against it.

He recently called the idea “total rubbish” and “out of touch with reality” in an interview with public service broadcaster ARD. A ban would make social media platforms even more interesting for young people and children.

Those in favour of age limits point to the addictive potential of social media.

There are also calls for reliable age verification systems for content that is not suitable for children and young people.

The European Commission is already working on a verification app for this purpose. It should make it easier for online platforms to restrict access for children and young people. (3 July)