Dutch cabinet urges EU to set minimum age for addictive social media
The Dutch government, alongside Spain, is urging the European Union to implement a unified minimum age for social media usage to protect children from addictive algorithms and harmful content. They advocate for a consistent age limit, ideally 15 years old, enforced through standardized European age-verification technology to prevent regulatory fragmentation.
The Dutch government is actively lobbying the European Commission to establish a uniform European minimum age for accessing social media platforms. Working in collaboration with Spain, the Netherlands aims to curb the influence of addictive algorithms and harmful content by advocating for a mandatory age limit, ideally set at 15 years old. This proposal seeks to create a standardized regulatory framework across the European Union to avoid the confusion caused by inconsistent national policies and varying restrictions for parents, companies, and regulators.
To enforce these measures, the cabinet supports the implementation of robust age verification tools, potentially through a dedicated European digital identification application. This system would be designed to protect user privacy while ensuring compliance with the new age restrictions. While the exact minimum age remains subject to ongoing debate—with some European factions suggesting 16—the Dutch administration is pushing for a cohesive approach that includes the development of safer digital services specifically tailored for children.
Based on reporting by ad. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
