The Schleswig-Holstein branch of the CDU has put forward a motion for the party’s upcoming congress that would ban children under 16 from using social‑media platforms.
The motion, which the daily “Bild” (Friday edition) reported, calls for a statutory minimum age of 16 for all open‑access platforms, together with compulsory age verification. The aim is to set a clear protective threshold that reflects the developmental needs of young people.
The proposal specifically names TikTok, Instagram and Facebook and argues that the stricter rules would effectively shield children and adolescents from hate, harassment, peer pressure, bullying and other harmful online content. The authors point to Australia, where a similar ban exists for users under 16, as a model for Germany.
Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s general secretary, supports the age limit. He told “Bild” that children have a right to a childhood free from hate, violence, crime and manipulative misinformation. According to Linnemann, social‑media users are constantly exposed to material that they cannot fully understand or process, which can have devastating consequences. He warns that children who spend a significant amount of time online are increasingly suffering from depression and loneliness, and that their social skills deteriorate because they learn to interact only in virtual spaces.
The delegates will have the opportunity to vote on the motion at the CDU party congress on February 20 and 21.
