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November 30, 2024 | 03:23 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - World leaders have been considering ways to curb technology addiction in young people since Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal emails in 2021 showing that the tech giant was aware of the mental health effects of social media on teens.
Reuters reported that the U.S. Surgeons General issued recommendations in 2023 to provide health warnings on social media, blaming social media for what they call a teen mental health crisis. However, these recommendations have not helped lawmakers from Florida to France overcome backlash citing free speech, privacy, and the limitations of age-verification technology.
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat state that individuals must be at least 13 years old to sign up. But child protection advocates say the oversight falls short, with official data in several European countries revealing scores of social media accounts belonging to children under 13.
The breakthrough came when the wife of the leader of Australia's second-smallest state read The Anxious Generation, a 2024 bestseller critical of social media by U.S. social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and urged her husband to take action.
Australia has passed a ban on social media for children under 16, one of the world's toughest regulations targeting major tech companies. Here's what Australia and European countries have done to regulate children's access to social media.
Australia
The new law forces tech giants such as Instagram owner and Facebook Meta to prevent underage children from entering or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (around Rp510 million). Enforcement trials will begin in January, and the ban is expected to take effect within a year.
United Kingdom
The UK currently has no plans to implement Australian-style restrictions. However, Digital Minister Peter Kyle has said everything is in place to keep people safe online and has launched a study into the impact of smartphones and social media, particularly on children.
He says that the regulator of Ofcom must focus on government priorities such as safety by design, transparency, and accountability as it enforces the Online Safety Act next year.
The previous government passed the law, which sets stricter standards for social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok - including age-appropriate restrictions - in 2023.
Norway
Last month, the Norwegian government proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the requirements necessary to use social media from the current 13 to 15, although parents will still be allowed to sign on their behalf if they are under the age limit.
The center-left government also said it has begun drafting legislation to set a legal minimum age for social media use, although it's unclear when a law mandating this will reach parliament.
Half of nine-year-olds in Norway use some form of social media, according to the government.
European Union
The EU requires parental consent for the processing of personal data of children under 16, although the 27 member states can lower the threshold to 13.
France
In 2023, France passed a law requiring social platforms to obtain parental consent for children under the age of 15 to create accounts. However, according to local media, technical challenges have delayed the implementation of this rule.
In April, a panel appointed by President Emmanuel Macron recommended stricter rules, including a ban on cell phones for children under 11 and internet-connected phones for children under 13. It's still unclear when new laws will be passed and to what extent they will follow the experts' recommendations.
Germany
Officially, minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are only allowed to use social media in Germany with their parents' permission. There are currently no plans to go further. However, child protection advocates say that existing supervision is inadequate and are calling for better enforcement of the rules.
Belgium
In 2018, Belgium enacted a law requiring children over the age of 13 to create social media accounts without parental permission.
Netherlands
The Netherlands doesn't have a law on the minimum age for social media use but the government banned the use of mobile devices in classrooms starting in January 2024 to reduce disruptions. Exceptions apply for digital lessons, medical needs, or disabilities.
Italy
In Italy, children under the age of 14 need parental permission to register social media accounts, while those over that age don't.
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