Europeans favor banning social media for minors — 3 in 4 call for age limits

Strong enactment for property restrictions connected societal media is emerging crossed Europe, according to a caller survey conducted successful six large EU countries, arsenic governments and European institutions propulsion guardant with akin measures.

According to European Pulse by Politico, astir 75% of citizens judge that states should enforce a minimum property for societal media use.

Majority supports property bounds astatine 16
Half of respondents said the property bounds should beryllium acceptable astatine 16, portion 25% suggested a threshold betwixt 13 and 15 years old.

Only 4% judge determination should beryllium nary restrictions astatine all, portion 22% deliberation work should prevarication exclusively with parents.

Plans advancing astatine European level
The survey comes arsenic respective European governments determination to bounds minors’ entree to societal media.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and France’s President Emmanuel Macron person some backed bans, with Sánchez describing the request to support minors from the “digital Wild West.”

In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that a prohibition connected societal media usage for children nether 15 volition beryllium implemented from January 2027, portion the European Commission is considering mounting a unified property bounds crossed the EU.

Reactions and concerns
Despite wide support, determination are besides objections. Critics reason that specified measures whitethorn not efficaciously support minors and could infringe connected their rights.

In fact, 371 experts successful information and information extortion described the bans arsenic “dangerous and socially unacceptable” successful an unfastened missive earlier successful March.

Differences betwixt countries
The highest levels of enactment were recorded successful Italy (84%) and Poland (83%), followed by Belgium (76%).

In Germany and Spain, 70% of citizens enactment restrictions, portion France shows much divided opinions, with 69% successful favour and 31% against.

Italy besides has the highest enactment for a 16-year property bounds (64%), followed by Spain (55%), Belgium (54%), Poland (53%), France (48%), and Germany (39%).

Germany besides records the highest stock of citizens wholly rejecting restrictions, astatine 7%.

New regulations nether discussion
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed cautious enactment for a connection to prohibition societal media usage nether the property of 14, portion the German authorities has tasked a radical of experts with submitting recommendations successful the coming months.

The survey was conducted betwixt March 13 and 21 among 6,698 adults successful Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Belgium, with results weighted to bespeak age, gender, and geographic distribution.