Federal Minister for Families, Karin Prien (CDU), plans to present the cabinet this Wednesday with key guidelines outlining improved protection for children and young people online. According to the magazine Politico, these guidelines include four legal and eight non-legal measures.
The proposed cabinet submission emphasizes that the goal is not to ban digitalization from the lives of children and young people, nor to implement prohibitions merely for their own sake. Instead, the focus is on providing protection, empowerment, and ensuring opportunities for participation.
Among the legal measures is the establishment of a national age limit for social networks. As European-level minimum access ages have yet to be set, the German government intends to create a national transitional regulation. In principle, children under 13 must not use social networks, though exceptions will be provided for demonstrably child-friendly offerings. For those aged 13 to 18, tiered restrictions are planned. On the EU level, the government intends to lobby for a uniform European age limit of 13, a prohibition on designs that promote addiction, and standardly deactivated recommendation algorithms.
Further legal changes address media literacy and parental responsibility. The Social Code must explicitly mandate that child and youth welfare services are geared towards the digital environment. Promoting media competence must be an essential component of empowering young people toward self-determination. Furthermore, the Civil Code must be amended to clarify that parental oversight responsibilities extend to media usage.
The non-legal measures include the EUDI Wallet “d-you,” which is set to allow voluntary age verification starting in 2027. This verification can be achieved by confirming the minimum age without transmitting additional personal data. Additional initiatives include an “AI Seahorse” program, a “Children’s Online Watch,” an educational campaign targeting parents of preschoolers, expanded media education and counseling services, and closer cooperation among the federal government, the states, and other stakeholders. Moreover, EU fines imposed on platforms are intended to be utilized for media pedagogy measures.
These initial guidelines are not the complete strategy, but rather are based on 56 recommendations submitted by an expert commission appointed by Karin Prien. Further measures are expected, and the cabinet is scheduled to approve these key points this Wednesday.
