Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Europe Advances Child Protections Online as Germany Weighs Social Media Age Thresholds

A recent Australian trial confirms that robust age verification technology can be integrated into social platforms, bolstering Austria’s plan for mandatory checks under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

Image
Image
Abschluss Klausurtagung des bayerischen Kabinetts
Social Media. Geht es nach dem Willen der Politik, sollen Kinder nicht mehr in sozialen Netzwerken aktiv sein dürfen. Symbolbild: IMAGO / Westend61

Overview

  • Germany’s Education Minister Karin Prien has proposed setting a minimum age of either 14 or 16 for social media accounts and intends to form an expert commission to guide enforcement.
  • Austria’s coalition government is drafting legislation under the EU’s Digital Services Act to mandate platform age verification for users under 16.
  • Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder rejects fixed age caps and promotes media literacy and parental oversight as the primary safeguard for young users.
  • An Australian Age Assurance Technology Trial found that private, robust and effective methods can reliably verify user ages and block under-16 registrations on social media platforms.
  • More than 1,400 health experts have linked early social media use to depression and other developmental harms, while Austrian authorities report a doubling in youth online radicalization cases.