New EU app aims to restrict minors’ access to social media

An app to verify the property of those utilizing integer platforms and social media to guarantee that children bash not entree inappropriate contented was unveiled contiguous by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

This application, which is already being piloted successful France, Greece, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Cyprus, is, according to the Commission, technically acceptable and volition soon beryllium disposable for usage by citizens.

As President von der Leyen said, “We cognize that integer exertion tin springiness children unthinkable opportunities. They tin larn faster done interactive tools. They tin enactment connected with their friends and families. They tin entree a wealthiness of cognition and research the satellite acold beyond the walls of the classroom. And these technologies tin besides assistance them make invaluable skills. But we are besides good alert that these benefits travel with risks successful presumption of children’s information online, an highly worrying situation. One kid successful six is bullied online. One kid successful 8 is bullied by different child.”

According to her, “Social media platforms connection highly addictive designs, endless scrolling that feeds addiction, abbreviated videos, and highly personalised content. The magnitude of clip our kids walk looking astatine screens has ne'er been truthful high, and that’s clip not spent connected the playground oregon with their peers. And the much clip they walk online, the much apt they are to beryllium exposed to harmful and amerciable contented from online predators. It is the occupation of parents to rise their children, not platforms.”

As announced by the Commission, this app, which follows the illustration of apps utilized aft the COVID-19 pandemic, volition let users to beryllium their property erstwhile accessing online platforms, conscionable arsenic shops inquire for ID from radical buying alcoholic beverages.

First, it is user-friendly. Anyone volition beryllium capable to download the app to acceptable it up with their passport oregon ID paper and past beryllium their property connected online services.

Second, it respects the highest privateness standards successful the world. Users volition beryllium their property without revealing different idiosyncratic information. Simply put, it’s wholly anonymous. Users cannot beryllium tracked.

Third, the app works connected immoderate device, phone, tablet, computer, oregon immoderate different device.

And finally, it is wholly unfastened source.

According to the Commission, France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland are pioneers and program to integrate the app into their nationalist wallets.

The commission’s announcement comes conscionable a time earlier a video league of leaders from respective EU subordinate states (including Greece), held astatine the inaugural of French President Emmanuel Macron, to sermon a pan-European program to prohibition entree to societal media for minors.