SPD wants social media ban for children under 14

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The SPD has called for the introduction of a social media ban for children under 14 in an impulse paper. The party proposes making age verification mandatory using the “EUDI-Wallet” app.

The core of the proposal is a regulation graded according to three age groups: From now on, there should be a complete ban on the use of social media platforms for those under 14 years old. The providers should be obliged to “technically effectively prevent access”. Violations by the platforms must have quick and noticeable consequences: “from immediate orders and severe sanctions to temporary restrictions or network closures as a last resort.”

“Youth version of the platforms”

For those under 16, however, a mandatory “youth version of the platforms” should apply. This should not contain any addictive functions such as endless scrolling, automatic playback of content or incentive systems that reward intensive or long-term use. In addition, a youth version would have to do without algorithmically controlled feeds and would no longer be allowed to display content in a personalized manner.

In the future, young people under 16 will only have access to Instagram and Co. via their legal guardian’s “EUDI Wallet” app. The app (EU Digital Identity Wallet) is a type of digital wallet in which, for example, the identity card and driving license of the legal guardian are stored.

“Return to the classic social media principle”

In the future, algorithmic recommendation systems will be deactivated by default on digital platforms for all citizens aged 16 and over – including adults. If users want content suggested by algorithms, they would have to consciously and actively decide to do so. According to the proposal, this age group would also have to verify themselves with “EUDI-Wallet” before using it.

Beyond the age restrictions, the SPD sees its proposal as a larger-scale “return to the classic social media principle”. In the future, social media users should be able to decide for themselves what they want to see and what not. The standard setting on platforms must once again be that users only see content from people and accounts they actively follow on their site, instead of being suggested content through an automatically curated feed that secretly prioritizes and algorithmically reinforces individual content, according to the paper.

The SPD chairman and vice-chancellor Lars Klingbeil emphasized in an interview with the German Press Agency that he was currently rethinking things. “A few years ago we all emphasized the freedom of the Internet and said that there should be no restrictions whatsoever. But now we see in the debates that something is happening in society, that young people are coming to me and saying that we need clear rules on how we deal with social networks,” said Klingbeil. “We need restrictions when it comes to how we use social media, how we use the internet, and we need to make decisions about that now.”

There are also supportive voices from the CDU

Abroad, several countries such as Denmark, Great Britain, France and Spain want to follow the example of Australia, which two months ago became the first country in the world to introduce a general social media ban for under-16s. The children are no longer allowed to have their own social media accounts there.

The CDU has also recently voiced support for stricter regulation of social media. Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) said that she could personally imagine a ban up to a certain age. The CDU wants to discuss the issue at its party conference next weekend./mxx/DP/he

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