German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative party is discussing the possibility of banning the use of social media for young people under 16. However, some center-left coalition partners have expressed reservations about a complete ban.
Since last year, when Australia became the first country to impose an age limit on social media, several European countries have taken or considered similar measures, due to concerns about their negative impact on young people.
Dennis Radtke, leader of the CDU's labor wing, stressed that developments on social media are outpacing media literacy and said many platforms are a "gathering of hate and fake news." He welcomed Australia's idea of setting an age limit.
On the other hand, Johannes Schätzl, digital policy spokesman for the Social Democrats (SPD), a coalition partner, opposes a complete ban and proposes more effective controls by the platforms themselves. He stressed that social networks also offer opportunities for participation and opinion formation and that platforms should adjust their business models to protect young people, avoiding aggressive algorithmic systems.
A motion from the CDU branch in Schleswig-Holstein proposes setting a minimum age of 16 for social media platforms with mandatory verification. The motion names TikTok, Instagram and Facebook as possible platforms for restrictions. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann supported the idea, stressing that children should be protected from hatred, violence, crime and disinformation even in the digital world, writes Reuters.
Debates over the impact of social media on children have raised concerns in Germany, where the government has set up a special commission to protect young people online. The commission's report is expected to be published later this year.
Thorsten Schmiege, head of the state-level media regulator, told Reuters that issues such as cyberbullying, online sexual harassment and hate speech are taken very seriously and that platforms must take action. He added that if voluntary measures are not enough, a full ban could be considered as a last resort.
