Germany Moves to Impose Restrictions on Children’s Use of Social Media

Germany Moves to Impose Restrictions on Children’s Use of Social Media
—————————
Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) approved a proposal on Saturday to ban children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms and to introduce stricter digital age-verification checks for teenagers, in a move that adds momentum to similar efforts in Germany and across Europe.

The decision was adopted during a party conference in Stuttgart, where the CDU, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for fines on online platforms that fail to enforce the restrictions. The party also urged the adoption of unified age standards at the European Union level.

Germany joins several European countries, including Spain, Greece, France, and the United Kingdom, which are considering bans or tighter controls on access to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Australia last year became the first country to require platforms to block access for children.

The proposal calls on the federal government to “set a legal minimum age of 14 for the use of social networks and address the special need for protection in the digital space up to the age of 16.”

Merz’s coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, have expressed support for similar restrictions, increasing the likelihood that the federal government could move toward implementation. However, media regulation in Germany falls under the authority of the federal states, meaning negotiations among states would be required to establish consistent nationwide rules.

Public reaction remains mixed. Till Frank, a teacher in the city of Bonn, said the decision could be “a shock at first for children due to their heavy daily use of social media,” but added that students would likely adapt and find other ways to communicate.