MUNICH/PRAGUE - German Minister of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Karin Prien is considering a blanket ban on certain social networking sites for children under 16. She made the remarks on Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) on Sunday, citing youth protection.
As a concrete example of a platform that could fall under the ban, the minister mentioned the popular TikTok app. According to Prien, children and adolescents need to be more rigorously protected from risks such as cyberbullying, the spread of misinformation or negative effects on mental health.
The proposal comes at a time when other European countries are considering similar steps. The Danish government, for example, recently announced its intention to ban social networking sites for children under the age of 15. These efforts are part of a wider Europe-wide debate on the regulation of digital space and the safety of underage users.
The proposal is sure to spark a heated debate in Germany among experts, parents and platform providers. Critics of such blanket bans often argue the difficulty of enforcement and the emphasis on the role of parental control. If the idea were to gain traction in Germany, it would significantly limit young people's access to some of the most popular online services.
gnews.cz - GH
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