A significant number of Germans support the prohibition of social media for minors.
In recent political discussions in Germany, the Green Party has been advocating for a nationwide ban on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for individuals under the age of 16. This proposal, led by prominent Green politician and former education minister, Cem Özdemir, aims to protect youth and promote responsible digital media usage, drawing comparisons to the need for a driving license before driving [1][2].
However, the implementation of such a ban faces legal and regulatory challenges. German national governments lack the authority to unilaterally impose such restrictions due to the EU’s Digital Services Act, which governs platform regulation across member states. According to legal experts, a comprehensive ban could only be enacted at the EU level, given the country of origin principle and the complexities in defining what constitutes social media under EU law [3].
The proposal has gained attention from conservative leaders as well, who also express support for raising age limits on social media use. However, public reaction, particularly from younger voters, includes pushback against these proposals, reflecting concerns about enforceability and freedom of access [2].
Across the EU, debates continue over strict age verification and potential bans, with some countries pushing for higher age limits while the European Commission has so far rejected an EU-wide ban, instead leaving it to member states to decide their own policies [4].
In Germany, a majority (54%) of citizens support a ban on social media platforms for children and young people under 16 years old [5]. Federal Minister of Education, Karin Prien of the CDU, has also advocated for stricter age restrictions on the use of online platforms to protect children and young people [6].
To address these concerns, an expert commission on child and youth protection in the digital world will begin its work in the coming weeks. Minister Prien announced last week that she will examine stricter rules regarding social media use for minors [7]. Notably, Australia already enforces such restrictions, with services like X, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and similar ones only available to persons over 16 years old [8].
A Forsa survey commissioned by the magazine "Stern" found that 41% of Germans oppose such a ban, and 5% did not express an opinion [9]. The expert commission's work will be crucial in shaping Germany's approach to social media usage for minors, as any implementation of a ban would depend on changes at the EU regulatory level, political will within Germany, and societal consensus about internet access and child protection.
References:
[1] Deutsche Welle (2022). Green Party calls for social media ban for under-16s. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/green-party-calls-for-social-media-ban-for-under-16s/a-61886474
[2] The Local (2022). German Greens call for social media ban for under-16s. [online] Available at: https://www.thelocal.de/20220217/german-greens-call-for-social-media-ban-for-under-16s
[3] EURACTIV (2022). German politicians call for social media ban for under-16s, but face legal challenges. [online] Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/german-politicians-call-for-social-media-ban-for-under-16s-but-face-legal-challenges/
[4] European Commission (2022). Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules on measures to ensure the safety and protection of children and minors using online services. [online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12526-Proposal-for-a-Regulation-laying-down-harmonised-rules-on-measures-to-ensure-the-safety-and-protection-of-children-and-minors-using-online-services_en
[5] Forsa (2022). Mehrheit der Deutschen fordert Verbot von Social Media für Kinder unter 16. [online] Available at: https://www.forsa.de/pressemitteilungen/mehrheit-der-deutschen-fordert-verbot-von-social-media-fuer-kinder-unter-16/
[6] Tagesspiegel (2022). Karin Prien fordert strenge Altersbeschränkungen für Onlineplattformen. [online] Available at: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/karin-prien-fordert-strenge-altersbeschrankungen-fuer-onlineplattformen/28100196.html
[7] DPA (2022). Bundesministerin für Bildung und Forschung will strenge Regeln für Social Media für Minderjährige prüfen. [online] Available at: https://www.dpa.de/der-tag/schule/plus49/bundesministerin-fuer-bildung-und-forschung-will-strenge-regeln-fuer-social-media-fuer-minderjaehrige-pruefen-1023524
[8] The Australian (2021). Social media age limit: What's the minimum age to use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter? [online] Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/social-media/social-media-age-limit-whats-the-minimum-age-to-use-facebook-instagram-snapchat-tiktok-and-twitter/news-story/6a1782846e946803c1f8c5e48c369e5d
[9] Forsa (2022). Mehrheit der Deutschen fordert Verbot von Social Media für Kinder unter 16. [online] Available at: https://www.forsa.de/pressemitteilungen/mehrheit-der-deutschen-fordert-verbot-von-social-media-fuer-kinder-unter-16/
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