German Panel Recommends Social Media Ban for Under-13s to Protect Children Online
Expert Panel's Recommendations and Government Response
June 24 (Reuters) - Germany should consider barring under-13s from running their own social media accounts, imposing strict child-safety measures on platforms and introducing a parental duty to prevent "digital neglect", a government‑appointed expert panel has advised.
Key Recommendations from the Commission
The commission submitted 56 recommendations to the family ministry for a strategy to protect children and young people online, including the option of a social media ban for under-13s, according to a document published on Wednesday.
Government Reaction
The government welcomed the recommendations which are now set to be debated in the political arena.
Ministerial Support for Age Limit
"As regards the independent use of social media, I believe that the proposal for a statutory age limit of 13 years is, in principle, the right way forward," said German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Karin Prien in a statement.
Additional Proposals for Age-Based Protections
In addition to a legal ban on social media for under-13s, the panel also proposed tiered protection standards for the 13–16 and 16–18 age groups, seeking to shield young people from online risks without excluding them from digital spaces entirely.
As an alternative, the commission suggests abandoning a uniform age limit in favour of service‑ and function‑specific restrictions based on risk assessments of individual platforms.
International and Domestic Context
Global Trends in Social Media Regulation
A number of countries, such as Australia, France, Canada, Spain, Slovenia, Greece and Britain, have already introduced social media bans to protect their young people, or are in the process of doing so.
Political Support in Germany
In Germany, the ruling conservatives and Social Democrats have already spoken out in favour of access restrictions, as they see fake news, AI-generated images, violence and pornography as a threat to children and young people.
Politicians also see a danger that radical political forces are targeting young people from a very early age.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Linda Pasquini, Editing by Ros Russell)
