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Austria Plans Possible Social Media Ban for Kids Under Fourteen
(MENAFN) Austria is exploring a potential ban on social media use for children under 14, following similar initiatives in Australia and France, State Secretary for Digital Affairs Alexander Proll said Tuesday.
Proll explained that the government aims to introduce the restriction at the start of the next school year and is reviewing technical measures to enforce it. Political experts will meet to develop a detailed plan, drawing inspiration from Australia’s approach to age verification.
In Australia, users must provide identification, and platforms employ facial and voice recognition alongside behavioral analysis to confirm ages.
While Austria’s coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPO) and the liberal NEOS party, support the principle of a ban, they disagree on how to implement it. NEOS media spokesperson Henrike Brandstotter opposed the Australian model due to data privacy concerns and suggested waiting for the country’s “eID” system, expected to be operational by 2027.
The proposed minimum age in Austria is still under discussion, with Proll favoring 14, aligning with the age of legal capacity and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which allows member states to set consent ages for online data processing between 13 and 16 years.
The SPO has advocated for a national ban if a Europe-wide solution is not reached by the end of 2025.
The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) criticized the plan, calling it a restriction on freedom of expression, while the Greens demand mandatory age verification and penalties for non-compliant platforms.
At the EU level, leaders have supported age limits to protect minors online. The European Parliament has previously recommended a minimum age of 13 for social networks, video platforms, and AI chatbots, urging the European Commission to establish a binding age limit by the end of 2026.
In France, a bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron was approved Monday by the National Assembly’s lower house. The legislation seeks to implement the ban at the start of the 2026 school year, with full age verification for all users expected by January 1, 2027, according to reports.
Proll explained that the government aims to introduce the restriction at the start of the next school year and is reviewing technical measures to enforce it. Political experts will meet to develop a detailed plan, drawing inspiration from Australia’s approach to age verification.
In Australia, users must provide identification, and platforms employ facial and voice recognition alongside behavioral analysis to confirm ages.
While Austria’s coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPO) and the liberal NEOS party, support the principle of a ban, they disagree on how to implement it. NEOS media spokesperson Henrike Brandstotter opposed the Australian model due to data privacy concerns and suggested waiting for the country’s “eID” system, expected to be operational by 2027.
The proposed minimum age in Austria is still under discussion, with Proll favoring 14, aligning with the age of legal capacity and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which allows member states to set consent ages for online data processing between 13 and 16 years.
The SPO has advocated for a national ban if a Europe-wide solution is not reached by the end of 2025.
The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) criticized the plan, calling it a restriction on freedom of expression, while the Greens demand mandatory age verification and penalties for non-compliant platforms.
At the EU level, leaders have supported age limits to protect minors online. The European Parliament has previously recommended a minimum age of 13 for social networks, video platforms, and AI chatbots, urging the European Commission to establish a binding age limit by the end of 2026.
In France, a bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron was approved Monday by the National Assembly’s lower house. The legislation seeks to implement the ban at the start of the 2026 school year, with full age verification for all users expected by January 1, 2027, according to reports.
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