Austria to ban social media for children under 14

Austria's federal government has finalized draft legislation to prohibit social media use for children under 14, a move aimed at safeguarding minors from the detrimental effects of online platforms. The decision was made during the government's summer session in Salzburg.

“

I believe this is a correct and important step for better protection of children and young people from problematic content.

The primary goal of this initiative is to shield young users from addictive algorithms, cyberbullying, radicalization, and disturbing or dangerous content prevalent on social media. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker described the law as a "correct and important step" for enhanced child protection, emphasizing its contribution to national security alongside military reforms.

Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler expressed satisfaction with the government's commitment to protecting children, acknowledging the well-documented harms associated with these platforms. He stressed that politicians have a duty to protect children, relieving schools and parents of this sole responsibility. Babler highlighted the need to protect those under 14 from the addictive features of platforms, even if platforms claim inability to control all content.

“

Children have the right to be protected by politicians.

The legislation will not name specific platforms but will encompass all digital services employing algorithms designed to retain user engagement. Major platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat are expected to be affected, though messaging apps like WhatsApp will be exempt. Non-compliance by tech giants could result in substantial fines, potentially reaching up to 6% of their annual global turnover, amounting to billions of euros. The Austrian regulatory agency KommAustria will oversee enforcement.

“

We are well aware of the harmful effects of these platforms. It is good that the government has introduced this protection for children and young people in Austria.

Age verification will be managed through independent, certified service providers to protect user privacy. Options include using Austria's ID system or third-party solutions. Young users would need to verify their identity once during registration, with the third party providing an anonymized confirmation to the platform indicating whether the user is over 14, without revealing specific personal data.

“

What we insist on is that at least those under 14 must be protected from the addictive features of the platforms.