Germany's justice minister calls for stronger child protection against social media addiction

Following a major lawsuit against Meta in the United States, German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig is calling for stronger measures to protect children from social media addiction. Hubig views the nearly $17 billion settlement reached by Meta with U.S. states as a crucial "signal effect" and believes Germany must proactively lead in safeguarding young users online.

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Children and adolescents need effective protection in the digital space: for their privacy and safety, through appropriate age limits and against manipulative designs such as endless scrolling.

"Children and adolescents need effective protection in the digital space: for their privacy and safety, through appropriate age limits and against manipulative designs such as endless scrolling," Hubig told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. She highlighted the EU's Digital Services Act, which already sets clear requirements for platforms to protect minors, emphasizing the need for consistent enforcement and further development of these rules.

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Platforms are obliged to protect minors in particular.

Hubig is pushing for a national transitional regulation, particularly concerning a legal minimum age for social media use. She advocates for a tiered protection concept that considers the varying needs of different age groups, stating that "blanket bans would be the wrong approach." The minister stressed the urgency of action, noting that "every additional year without concrete protective guidelines can have harmful consequences for the children growing up today."

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Blanket bans would be the wrong approach.

Meta's settlement includes time limits for minors' use of Instagram and Facebook, restricting them to two hours per day, and introducing nighttime access blocks. Hubig insists that Germany must maintain pressure within Europe to achieve tangible improvements quickly. The goal is to ensure that platforms fulfill their responsibility to protect underage users, preventing potential long-term negative impacts on their development and well-being.

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Every additional year without concrete protective guidelines can have harmful consequences for the children growing up today.