The Child Protection League has expressed critical views regarding the European Union’s proposed concept for regulating social media. Sabine Andresen, president of the organization, stated to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Friday edition) that digital environments are especially vital for young people who struggle to find adequate support at home or who live in strained families, as these spaces often provide crucial social connections and advice. She emphasized that their access should not be solely dependent on the consent or capacity of their parents.
Moreover, Andresen cautioned that crucial technical issues remain unresolved. Currently, there is no verifiable, data-minimal, secure, and non-discriminatory method for determining age. Therefore, she argued that major limitations on children’s digital participation should not be based on technical solutions that do not yet exist.
Despite her criticisms, the Child Protection League positively reviewed the drive to hold platforms more accountable. According to the league’s head, children must be protected from addictive design, manipulative mechanisms, and high-risk recommendation systems, and this protection must be enforced through binding standards established from the initial development of the platforms.
The EU Commission plans to significantly restrict the use of social media by children and teenagers. Between the ages of three and thirteen, children would be prohibited from having their own accounts or devices. For teenagers aged 13 and above, they would initially only be allowed a supervised “mini-account” for one hour per day, established and monitored by their parents. The general ability to create independent user accounts would typically be permissible starting at age 15. As part of this framework, online providers would be required to verify age and also demonstrate that their platforms are safe for young people through specific features and default settings.
