In Greece they want to ban social networks for children under 15 years of age: authorities have presented a large-scale plan of restrictions

The Greek authorities has unveiled a monolithic program to restrict minors’ entree to κοινωνικά media. providing for a virtual prohibition connected the use of such platforms by children under 15 years of age.

The caller rules will impact teenagers calved aft January 1, 2012.

The inaugural was presented by authorities ministers, stating that its main extremity is to combat digital addiction and protecting the intelligence wellness of minors. The authorities stress that this is not a symbolic measure, but a full-fledged betterment of the regularisation of the integer situation for children.

Which platforms will beryllium subject to restrictions?

The restrictions will use to each services that autumn within the explanation of κοινωνικά networks under European law. These are platforms where users:

1. create idiosyncratic profiles;
2. interact with each other;
3. publish contented for different users;
4. use the functions of comments, likes, subscriptions and stories.

First of all, we are talking astir services such arsenic Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and akin sites.

How the prohibition will work

The authorities acknowledges that it is intolerable to instantly artifact teenagers’ entree to κοινωνικά networks, so the implementation will hap successful stages.

The main work falls connected the platforms themselves, who will person to:

1. implement reliable systems for verifying the property of users;
2. re-check existing accounts;
3. block entree to users under a specified age.

It is separately emphasized that the state will not straight power users. Its task is to show whether platforms comply with caller requirements.

What are the sanctions?

For violating the caller rules, platforms whitethorn look superior sanctions under European law:

1. fines up to 6% of the company’s planetary turnover;
2. daily fines until violations are wholly eliminated;
3. restriction of level activities;
4. additional fines under the GDPR for violation of idiosyncratic information protection.

Why did the authorities determine to intervene?

According to the government, the involution became indispensable due to the fact that the lives of modern children are progressively moving into a integer environment, and the risks are nary longer theoretical.

Authorities mention studies that amusement excessive use of κοινωνικά media is associated with:

1. increased anxiousness and depression;
2. worsening sleep;
3. social isolation;
4. cyberbullying;
5. deterioration of psychosocial development.

At the aforesaid time, the authorities straight compares integer addiction with threats to nationalist wellness such arsenic intoxicant and smoking, emphasizing that we are talking astir a semipermanent interaction connected the improvement of a child’s brain.

What Research Shows

International studies are cited arsenic an argument:

1. a study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia recovered that receiving a smartphone earlier property 12 was associated with an accrued hazard of depression;
2. according to the OECD, 23% teenagers consciousness anxious without a phone;
3. 17% children aged 11–15 years person experienced cyberbullying;
4. 20% Teenagers admit that due to the fact that of κοινωνικά networks they springiness up sports and hobbies.

When everything comes into effect

The authorities stress that the prohibition will not take effect “from tomorrow.”

The program provides the pursuing schedule:

1. European harmonization of the inaugural – 2nd 4th of 2026;
2. voting and adoption of the instrumentality – 2nd fractional of 2026;
3. technical adaptation of platforms – extremity of 2026;
4. expected start of restrictions – first 4th of 2027.

Role of parents

The authorities specifically emphasizes that the caller instrumentality does not regenerate parental control. Parents will beryllium encouraged to use the app KidsWallet to power children’s integer activity.

Without household participation, nary legislative measures tin beryllium afloat effective, officials say.

Editorial comment

In essence, we are talking astir an effort to make the archetypal full-fledged Internet property power mechanics successful Greece. The authorities openly admit that it is intolerable to instrumentality an implicit block, but they anticipation to astatine slightest earnestly complicate the entree of minors to κοινωνικά platforms.

Critics of the inaugural are already pointing retired that teenagers are apt to bypass restrictions en masse done VPNs, different people’s accounts and technical loopholes, arsenic is happening successful each countries that are trying to restrict the Internet done administrative methods.

Nevertheless, the very information of the quality of such a instrumentality shows: European states are progressively moving from talking astir the dangers of κοινωνικά networks to existent attempts to modulate them.

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