Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) warned against rushing to a social‑media ban for minors during recent debates. While early results from Australia look encouraging, he urged caution before making any decisions, saying the expert commission set up by Youth Minister Karin Prien (CDU) will present a proposal by summer. He asked for patience.
Earlier the CDU party conference had called on the federal government to legislate a 14‑year‑old age limit for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. Premiers from North Rhine‑Westphalia and Schleswig‑Holstein-Hendrik Wüst and Daniel Günther-are pressing for swift implementation.
Wildberger clarified that he supports an age restriction for social media, perhaps as a transitional measure. “I strongly oppose narrowing the discussion to a ban” he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). He argued that the state has a duty of care to ensure healthy development for young people, which can ultimately be achieved through regulation-setting strict rules and default settings on platforms and smartphones. A temporary age limit could be appropriate if the technology is not yet fully exploitable.
He emphasized that the issue is multi‑faceted. “If parents are constantly on their phones at home, it will be hard for children to use social media responsibly” he said. “Education is part of this and cannot be replaced by a ban”. Nonetheless, an age threshold can help signal the government’s commitment to protecting young users.
