Majority Proposes Restricting Use of TikTok and Instagram for Children - Restricting Access to TikTok and Instagram for Minor Users?
A recent Forsa survey commissioned by stern and RTL Germany has shown that a majority of Germans support banning access to TikTok and Instagram for children under the age of 16. This growing concern over potential online harms and privacy risks posed by these social media platforms to younger users has led to calls for stricter age restrictions to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content and data exploitation.
The survey, conducted on August 14 and 15 with a sample size of 1001 respondents, indicates that 54% of Germans are in favor of banning children and teenagers under 16 from using social media like Tiktok or Instagram. This position aligns with broader trends in Europe and globally, where lawmakers and the public increasingly call for measures to restrict minors’ access to certain social media apps due to risks of online harm, including exposure to sexual, drug-related content, and privacy violations.
The content on these platforms can be disturbing, and supporters of a ban are particularly high among parents and the elderly, with 60% in favor. Supporters of Union, SPD, and Left parties also have a majority in favor of banning Tiktok and co. for younger teenagers. However, only voters of the Greens (53%) and AfD (49%) have a majority against the ban.
The OECD study shows that 15-year-olds in Germany spend nearly 7 hours daily in front of screens, with two hours of this time spent each school day for entertainment purposes. Tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube are likely to account for a significant part of this daily screen time.
Cem Özdemir, a Green politician, has spoken in favor of a gradual introduction to social media, similar to driving lessons. However, the Forsa survey did not provide specific data on the opinions of Cem Özdemir regarding this gradual introduction.
The Forsa survey for stern and RTL Germany did not provide specific data on the opinions of the expert commission regarding protecting children in the digital world, the opinions of German politicians regarding the age limit for social media platforms, or the opinions of the public regarding the age limit for other social media platforms.
The statistical error tolerance of the survey is +/- 3 percentage points, making it representative. This survey result is part of a wider public discourse on child safety and regulation of social media platforms, with more German politicians advocating for a similar age limit. Australia has already implemented an age limit for these social media platforms.
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