EU countries are calling for age limitation for Tikkok & Co. - Protects our children!

EU countries are calling for age limitation for Tikkok & Co. - Protects our children!

The discussion about the safety of children on the Internet has recorded in the past few months. Platforms such as Tikkok, Instagram and YouTube are the focus, since several EU countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, raise the demand for strict age restrictions. These countries agreed that use of these apps should only be allowed from the age of 15, and require a strict age control to verify users. The minimum age for TikK, Instagram, Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter) is currently 13 years, while YouTube and Tumblr can only be used from the age of 16. However, users only have to identify themselves when registering with their date of birth, which effectively excludes an actual age control. According to the French digital minister Clara Chappaz, children create their accounts on these platforms on average at the age of seven to eight years.

France therefore plans to enforce a law that obliges the platforms to obtain a permission of parents for minor users. This law was adopted in 2023, but is still waiting for the approval from Brussels. Support for these measures also comes from Spain, Slovenia and Cyprus. The countries emphasize the multitude of dangers that are exposed to children on the Internet, including bullying, hate speech, extreme weight loss tips and pornographic content. Excessive screen time can also worsen anxiety disorders and depression, which underlines the urgency of measures to use these apps.

EU Commission looking for security solutions

In order to create a safer online environment for children, the EU Commission has announced measures that are also intended to strengthen age verification. Henna Virkkuns, executive vice president, emphasizes the priority of ensuring the security of children on the Internet. The draft of the new guidelines is published as part of the law on digital services and provides for a variety of measures. This includes checking the age of the users, an improvement in content recommendations, the standard setting of children's accounts on private and the moderation of child -safe content. Public participation has already started, with feedback options until June 10, 2025.

planned measures will not only affect large online platforms, but also smaller providers in digital space. In the future, a digital concept for the management of personal data should enable users to safely check their age without disclosing all of their personal data. The EU Commission has also initiated investigations against several platforms, including TikTok and Meta, due to suspected defects in the protection of children. If this is correct, these companies face high fines.

The burgeoning debate and initiatives show how seriously the EU countries are working on a reform of regulating online platforms to better protect children and adolescents. It remains to be seen how quickly and comprehensively the new regulations can be implemented.