Shielding Kids Online: EU Nations Push for Age Restrictions on Popular Platforms
Multiple European nations propose to outlaw digital platforms for young users
Got a phone or computer? Betty, Charlie, and Daisy - the avatars for kids across Europe - might soon be barred from social media giants like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. A growing chorus of EU countries, including France, Greece, and Denmark, demanded these platforms be off-limits to kids under 15 at a digital ministers' summit in Luxembourg on Friday. The EU Commission is now under pressure to establish pan-European rules.
Today's online networks blur the line between fantasy and reality, presenting young minds with perils like hate speech, bullying, harmful diet ideas, explicit content, and addiction. Screentime excess can fuel anxiety disorders and depression, according to European papers, and impair critical thinking skills in kids.
France, already ahead of the game with a 2023 law mandating parental consent for minors to use these platforms, insists on tougher measures, such as age verification at the device level. Spain, Slovenia, and Cyprus have joined the crusade, citing similar concerns.
Take TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X (once known as Twitter), for instance. They open their doors to children as young as 13 in the EU, with no reliable age-check process. Users simply self-report their birthdates upon signing up. "Remember when we were kids? Altering our birthdate was as easy as pie," said French digital minister Clara Chappaz in Luxembourg, hinting at the urgency of change. She revealed that, on average, kids aged seven to eight create accounts today.
In a bid to establish a universal safety net for EU minors, the Commission is developing an app to securely manage personal data. The app, slated for a July release, would only confirm if a user is old enough without disclosing the exact age. In the future, smartphones could offer citizens a digital ID, securely storing age and automatically filtering inappropriate apps for minors.
Trouble is brewing for several platforms and porn providers, including TikTok, Meta (Facebook's parent company), Youporn, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX, with the EU Commission investigating them for allegedly lax child and youth protection measures. If proven guilty, these companies may face eye-popping fines.
[1] Digital services act regulations[2] AFP News Agency[3] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Services_Act[4] ntv.de[5] EU Commission press release on Digital Services Act
- The EU Commission, under pressure to establish pan-European rules, aims to develop an app that securely manages personal data, confirming if a user is old enough to use digital platforms without disclosing the exact age, as part of the digital services act regulations.
- France, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus, and several other EU countries have joined a chorus calling for stricter age restrictions on popular social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, citing concerns about the protection of children's personal growth and general safety online.
- Recognizing the importance of education and self-development in personal growth, the implementation of strict employment policies within the EU Commission is crucial in creating a safe and secure online environment for minors.
- To address the pervasive issue of inadequate child protection measures on platforms like TikTok, Meta (Facebook's parent company), Youporn, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX, the EU Commission is currently investigating these companies and threatens to impose significant fines if the allegations are verified.
