Governments of successive European countries, including Germany, Ireland, and Spain, are intensifying work on introducing age restrictions for access to social media platforms. The inspiration for these actions is the precedent-setting ban introduced in Australia. Politicians argue that protecting the mental health of youth from addiction-inducing algorithms and combating disinformation require decisive legislative steps, including mandatory age verification of users.

German proposal for a ban

Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports restrictions for children under 16 years of age, pointing to threats from fake news and addiction.

Strategy of the Irish government

Dublin plans a broad AI strategy, aiming for a common EU standard for the digital age of majority.

Spanish fight against abuses

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is pushing for regulations on age verification, foreseeing severe penalties for the management of tech corporations.

The debate over restricting access to social media for people under 16 years of age is gaining momentum across Europe. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for introducing statutory limits, pointing to the negative impact of multi-hour use of digital devices on children's social development. This proposal has gained recognition from part of the Christian Democrats, although it has been met with criticism from digital affairs ministers, who advocate for building media literacy rather than total bans. In Ireland, the government announced a new strategy on artificial intelligence and digitalization but denied preparing specific regulations banning access under threat of sanctions, focusing on consultations at the European Union level. The discussion on protecting minors online intensified after a series of studies indicated a correlation between the business model of tech giants and the mental health crisis among teenagers. Since the General Data Protection Regulation came into force in 2018, member states have the right to set their own age limit for digital consent.In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a legislative package protecting children from the "digital Wild West," including criminal liability for platform managers for failures in age verification. Experts, such as psychiatrist Anna Lembke, compare social media addiction to the effects of drug use, strengthening the argument of restriction proponents. Opponents, however, point to technical difficulties and the risk of surveillance of all citizens in attempts at effective identity verification. „If 14-year-old children spend five hours a day in front of a screen and all their socialization occurs through this medium, we are dealing with a serious problem.” — Friedrich Merz A key challenge remains the enforceability of regulations. Australia, which was the first to introduce a strict ban, has become a testing ground for age verification technology. European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron emphasize that children's emotional data cannot be a commodity for sale. Despite differences in approach among individual countries, the prevailing belief is that the current DSA model may require supplementation with specific provisions protecting the youngest from harmful algorithms. Planned age thresholds in EU countries: : → ; : → ; : →

Mentioned People

  • Friedrich Merz — German Chancellor and CDU leader, proponent of statutory restrictions on social media access for minors.
  • Pedro Sánchez — Prime Minister of Spain, promoting the fight against the "digital Wild West".
  • Emmanuel Macron — President of France, proponent of protecting children's emotions from market manipulation.