The consumer advice center has advocated for tighter regulation of online services at the European Union level. Ramona Pop, head of the Federal Association (VZBV), told partner newspapers of the “Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft” (Wednesday editions) that a patchwork of national regulations would not be effective.
She emphasized that although an expert commission tasked by the federal government regarding digital youth protection will soon present recommendations, the government must push for stricter EU-level regulation of online services. Pop noted that regulating US tech conglomerates is not simple and that such measures must be adopted at the European level. Specifically, she called for the current Digital Services Act (DSA) to be made more concrete.
Furthermore, work is underway in Brussels on a new law called the Digital Fairness Act (DFA). Pop stressed the importance of this legislation coming quickly so that not only the platforms, but other online services, become safer.
The expert commission on “Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World” plans to present its proposals on June 24th. Their considerations also include the debate over whether a strict age limit should be introduced for social media platforms. While the Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), recently expressed skepticism on the issue, consumer advocate Pop is also against minimum age requirements, although she strongly campaigns for stricter platform rules.
