German Social Democrat Paper Adds to Calls for Social Media Curbs for Children

Reuters

German Finance Minister and co-leader of the Social Democratic Party Lars Klingbeil.

A group of centre-left Social Democrats in Germany has joined their conservative coalition partners in calling for restrictions on children’s access to social media, proposing a formal ban for those under the age of 14.

The proposal comes amid growing debate in Germany over the potential negative effects of social media on children’s mental health, wellbeing and development. Lawmakers are urging the country to consider measures similar to those adopted in Australia, which has moved to curb access to platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for younger users.

"We can no longer avoid clear rules and restrictions," Social Democrat party (SPD) leader Lars Klingbeil, who serves as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's deputy, told the weekly Der Spiegel. "Protecting young people from the flood of hatred and violence on social media is a top priority."

A discussion paper signed by members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and several state-level politicians calls on social media platforms to block access for children under 14 and to introduce special “youth versions” for those aged 14 to 16.

The proposed youth versions would exclude algorithm-driven feeds, personalised content, and features such as endless scrolling and autoplay. The paper also suggests that for users over 16, opt-outs from algorithmic recommendation systems should be set as the default.

The proposal follows a similar initiative by conservatives led by Friedrich Merz, whose party has called for a ban on social media use for those under 16. The matter is expected to be discussed at their upcoming party conference.

With pressure mounting from both partners in the governing coalition, it is increasingly likely that the federal government in Germany will pursue restrictions. However, under Germany’s federal system, media regulation falls under the authority of the individual states, which must coordinate to agree on consistent nationwide rules.

The debate follows action taken by Australia, which last year became the first country to ban social media use for children under 16. Several European countries are now considering similar measures.

In Germany, the federal government appointed a special commission last year to examine ways to protect young people from potential online harm. The commission is expected to present its findings later this year.

Moreover, the UK government is also considering an Australian-style ban on social media use for children under 16, potentially implementing it within months of the consultation period’s conclusion. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration is pursuing this as part of a broader effort to respond more rapidly to digital risks, following growing concern about children’s exposure to harmful online content and interactions with artificial intelligence systems.

Spain, Greece and Slovenia have also said they are working on bans after Australia became the first country in the world to block access to under 16s. Scrutiny has since intensified further after Elon Musk’s flagship AI chatbot Grok was found to be generating nonconsensual sexualised images.

Sources: Reuters, NBC News



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