Debate about age limits for social media: Experts call for rules instead of bans

A week before the EU Commission President is expected to present her plans for an age limit for the use of social media services, over 140 organizations and experts from the fields of health, children's rights and human rights have spoken out against a minimum age. In an open letter they demand: The EU should adopt uniform legislation that requires social media services to take numerous youth protection measures - and thus make their use safer. “Europe cannot be satisfied with a blanket ban on young people, because this does not address the core problems of the addictive and manipulative design features of leading social media platforms,” criticizes Eve Geddie from Amnesty International.

In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Education is already working on a draft law for a minimum age for using social media platforms. And a corresponding law is also emerging at the European level. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present concrete plans next week.

A group of experts she appointed recently suggested 13 years as the minimum age. This is no different from the age limit that most platforms set for themselves. However, in the form of a law it would mean that all users would have to prove their age to the platforms. A technology for this that is both data-efficient and inclusive and reliable is not yet available.

“Digital services accessible to children must be safe from the start and by default, supported by independent risk assessments and consistent enforcement,” explains Mieke Schuurman from the Eurochild network, which, like Amnesty, is a signatory.

Studies from Australia, where a minimum age has been in effect since last December, have shown that the majority of children and young people avoid the barrier. According to a report in the Guardian, the government is now planning a further approach: users should be able to deactivate the personalized algorithm and then only see posts from users with whom their account is connected.