“They’re all running about a bit like zombies.” As a mother of three, Beate Meinl-Reisinger knows exactly what she’s talking about in her Instagram Reel: The Foreign Minister and leader of the NEOS party expressly supports the Europe-wide social media ban for children and young people announced by the European Commission. “I’m particularly concerned about the impact social media has on our children’s mental health,” she says.
The ‘Kids Act’, presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen alongside the Commissioner for Digital Affairs, Henna Virkkunen, sets out restrictive measures: No social media platforms for children under the age of 13; those aged between 13 and 15 should be able to open their own ‘mini-account’, which can only be accessed via a parent or legal guardian’s account. “This enables access to age-appropriate social media and video-sharing platforms,” says von der Leyen. The services available on the mini-accounts must be equipped with safety measures such as limited social contacts and a screen time limit of up to one hour per day.
Too much screen time
“Young people spend four to six hours a day in front of a screen,” says von der Leyen. “Too many children are exposed too early to an online world for which they are not yet ready and which was never designed with their wellbeing in mind. They fall victim to scammers and paedophiles.”
To put a stop to this, providers of TikTok and similar platforms will in future have to demonstrate that their services are age-appropriate and designed with safety in mind, according to the Brussels-based authority. Addictive features will be banned, as will the ability to scroll endlessly without stopping points, reward mechanisms, push notifications during sleeping hours, and unsolicited contact from strangers. According to the proposal, AI companions and chatbots must be disabled by default and must not simulate interpersonal relationships. Access to location data, the camera and the microphone must be disabled.
Technical implementation
How does the European Commission intend to implement these measures technically? Online services and app stores must in future use ‘age verification tools’, emphasises von der Leyen. The EU’s specially developed age verification app meets the ‘highest data protection standards’ because it does not store identity documents or biometric data. It is downloaded, set up using a passport or identity card, and then serves as proof of age when accessing online services: this is intended to guarantee data protection and eliminate the need to share personal data.
However, given the trilogue negotiations, it could take years before the EU-wide ban comes into force.
— Anna Gabriel, EU journalist, Die Presse
Link : Europe’s race to protect kids from social media