Overview

• Unionsfraktionschef Jens Spahn said CDU and CSU are debating a legal minimum age of 16 for using social media platforms.
• Spahn cited neuroscientific claims that apps such as TikTok and Instagram activate brain reward systems like heroin and described bans as a sharp tool.
• He defended considering restrictions by noting Germany already bars alcohol and nicotine sales to youths to protect developing brains.
• Thuringia’s Minister-President Mario Voigt backed an age limit and warned of online exploitation, citing reports that one in five youths aged 10 to 14 was asked for a nude image via a fake account.
• Positions diverge across parties, with CSU leader Markus Söder opposing an age limit, Kanzleramtschef Thorsten Frei warning such rules would be hard to enforce, and Greens leader Franziska Brantner supporting a ban for under‑16s as the Union–SPD coalition pledges stronger digital youth protection.