Today's Edition
AARHUS (DPA)
A possible minimum age for the use of social media is to be discussed at a European level, Danish Minister for Europe Marie Bjerre announced.
Denmark is currently holding the rotating European Union presidency and in charge of hosting discussions of EU ministers.
It was visible how social media affects children and well-being, Bjerre told journalists in Aarhus. This was probably the only area where more regulation was needed, she said.
In Germany, a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov recently revealed that more than 70% of respondents would like to see a minimum age for access to social media such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
According to the survey, 57% said they were in favour of a minimum age of 16 for using social media, while 16% were even of a minimum age of 18.
Those in favour of age limits point to the addictive potential of social media.
There are also calls for reliable age verification systems for content that is not suitable for children and young people.
The European Commission is already working on a verification app for this purpose. It should make it easier for online platforms to restrict access for children and young people.
