More and more countries around the world are taking a stand against the harm inflicted by social media, particularly the way it affects the youngest members of society. Following landmark regulations in Australia and Denmark, Austria is now looking to ban social media for children under 14, citing issues of safety—from cyberbullying and political radicalization to addiction and targeted advertising.
According to the Austrian government, a bill will be introduced by the end of June, setting a mandatory minimum for accessing social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Lawmakers settled at age 14 based on the legal capacity to enter into contracts in Austria, as well as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which sets 14 as the age of digital consent between 13 and 16 across Europe.
“What we wouldn’t tolerate from our children in person, we shouldn’t accept in the digital world either,” said Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler via a press statement. “On social media platforms, they are confronted with unrealistic beauty ideals, glorification of violence, misinformation, and manipulation, while multi-billion-dollar corporations fail to live up to their responsibilities, serve only profit interests, and gamble with the well-being and thus the future of our children—click after click, like after like.”
Aware that the restrictions alone may not be enough to keep kids safe online, the new regulations feature the introduction of a new subject in secondary schools. Titled “Media and Democracy,” it will address how media shapes public opinion, how to recognize disinformation and radicalization, and the impact of media use on mental health.
The proposed bill is expected to also outline the mechanism that will be used to verify people’s ages when accessing social media. At the moment, there isn’t a set date of when the new restrictions would go into effect, particularly because the new regulations would also need parliamentary approval.
If successful, it would set an example for countries such as France and Great Britain, which are working on similar regulations. “We are pushing forward with an EU-wide regulation. The average young person today spends six to seven hours a day on social media,” added Alexander Pröll, Austria’s state secretary for digitalization. “Let’s give children back their childhood.”
Austria is aiming to ban social media for children under 14, citing issues of safety, such as cyberbullying to political radicalization.
Sources: Child protection online: Federal government sets minimum age for social media
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