Finnish minister: EU's social media proposal for children lacks ambition

Finland's Social Security Minister Karoliina Partanen has voiced criticism of the European Commission's recent proposal regarding children's social media usage, stating it lacks ambition. The Commission's report recommends that children under 13 be allowed to use social media, provided they have parental approval and supervision, rather than imposing a total ban.

Partanen, however, advocates for stricter regulations. "I think we should go for a bit tighter regulation. At least I want Finland to support the EU in moving towards regulation that is tighter than this von der Leyen proposal," she stated. This aligns with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's objective to ban social media for individuals under 15.

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently preparing a national solution for social media use among minors. Partanen emphasized that Finland has the capacity to enact more stringent rules than the EU, regardless of the final EU decision. "But this of course requires that all government parties agree on the matter and there is a positive stance. These negotiations are currently underway," she noted.

Partanen pointed to Australia's recent ban on social media for those under 16, acknowledging that many minors circumvented the restriction. Nevertheless, she argued that even a 30% success rate in preventing use would have significant national impacts, citing potential benefits like increased physical activity and reduced negative effects on sleep and schooling. The Commission's report also highlighted children's rights to information and participation, but Partanen countered that children can access information from sources other than social media platforms like TikTok.