Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, is lending her support to calls for a potential ban on social media use for individuals under the age of 16. While acknowledging the approach could be perceived as “paternalistic and condescending” she emphasized the necessity of exploring options to better protect young people online. “We must consider how we can better safeguard adolescents on social media. An age restriction is one path that can be pursued” she stated in remarks to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers.
Specht-Riemenschneider underscored the serious risks posed to the development of children and adolescents, highlighting issues such as “cybergrooming” – the targeted manipulation of young people via the internet – and online hate speech.
Regarding age verification measures, the data protection commissioner suggested a solution centered around a digital wallet system. She cautioned that requiring individuals to upload identification documents presents data privacy concerns. “It’s not entirely consistent with data protection rules if everyone is required to upload their identification documents” she explained. “However, there are technical possibilities to minimize data usage – for example, through a digital wallet where you only release your age information displayed on an identification document.
The proposal aligns with plans by new Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU), who intends to implement a digital wallet designed to store essential documents such as driver’s licenses and credit cards. Specht-Riemenschneider stressed the importance of data security within the framework of Wildberger’s project. She specifically advocated for a decentralized data storage approach, where the wallet functions as a retrieval mechanism rather than a central repository for personal information. “My driver’s license should remain with the driver’s license authority – and when I encounter a traffic stop, I would display the digital version in the wallet to the police officer.
Specht-Riemenschneider emphasized that decentralized storage considerably reduces risks compared to centralized systems. She added that it’s crucial to guarantee that users authorize each individual data access through the wallet, minimizing the potential for misuse. “The idea of a digital wallet can be implemented in a data protection-compliant manner” she concluded. “We are carefully examining the design of this solution”.
