Overview
- The SmarterStartAb14 initiative formally presented its call for a nationwide 16‑year minimum age to the Bundestag Petitions Committee, citing harms from addictive design and harmful content.
- Supporters highlighted broad public backing, with roughly 35,000 signatures on the parliament portal and more than 150,000 on OpenPetition.
- Families Ministry officials referenced an expert commission tasked with delivering proposals within a year and pointed to EU‑level solutions and EUDI Wallet‑based age verification rather than a German solo effort.
- Petitioners urged bans on so‑called addictive algorithms, mandatory age checks, and penalties up to platform blocking, noting Australia’s December rules as a practical reference point.
- Debate focused on scope and feasibility, with Lower Saxony’s education minister advocating a 14‑year threshold, the federal drug commissioner proposing tiered limits, and Green lawmaker Anna Lührmann warning that AI age estimation cannot reliably distinguish close age bands.