Ricarda Lang, a Green Party politician, is now open to banning social media for children under 14-an outlook that departs from her earlier opposition. When asked about such proposals, she initially answered with a clear “no” saying her focus had been on improving media literacy and enforcing the law online. However, she has since changed her stance, admitting that the nation is badly positioned: “I have to admit that we are so poorly equipped that I start to question whether children under 14 are ready for that. Are we catching up fast enough? That’s why I now allow some flexibility on the issue of a ban”.
At the same time, Lang has given sharp words to the debate. She argues that the very fact we must discuss bans shows a failure to regulate social media properly. “Platforms are built to make us more nervous, more divided, and sometimes even dumber than we really are” she said. She called on the European Union to step up its effort and hold technology firms accountable, demanding that they alter algorithms to reward genuine interest rather than “low‑level instincts”.
Lang has also highlighted her own experience with online hate. She receives constant hateful comments from older users who lack media competence but still participate. She criticized the discussion for focusing solely on protecting young people, noting that problematic content is often created by older users.
