Günther demands ban on social media: protection for children now!

Günther demands ban on social media: protection for children now!

Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) is committed to a ban on social media for under 16 year olds. In an interview with "Bild am Sonntag", he warns of the serious risks that children and adolescents are exposed to with uncontrolled access to platforms such as Tikok and Instagram. According to Günther, the state has to better meet its protective function to ensure that young people grow up without access to these media. In order to achieve this paradigm shift, a guidance of his CDU state association is expected to be decided in mid-June.

Günther emphasizes that social media not only expose children to violent content, but also spread fake news. Many parents would have difficulty understanding their children's experiences in these platforms. Federal Education and Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) also supports the demand for effective age regulation in order to ensure the safety of young users.

international approaches to youth protection

In international comparisons, it can be seen that other countries such as Australia also take legal measures. A law was adopted there that provides for an age limit of 16 years for certain social media platforms. In Germany, on the other hand, the Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection (BZKJ) pursues a different approach that focuses more on digital children's rights and provider provision obligations. This concept is supported by the integrative amendment of the youth protection law of 2021, which takes into account the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.

A general ban on access to social media for under 16 year olds is regarded by many experts as too largely and as a violation of Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, which guarantees the right to participate in media and their safe use. Instead, an effective, platform -specific age review is considered sensible. The digital services act in the EU requires that digital services are designed in such a way that children and adolescents can use them safely.

The role of the BZKJ and the responsibility of the platforms

The BZKJ has the task of enforcing the rights of children in digital services and therefore works with providers and experts and adolescents to promote safe media use. This cooperation aims to implement protective measures and to support parents and specialists in schools and youth welfare. The enforcement of standards for structural pension measures is also a central concern of the BZKJ, which takes place on behalf of the Youth Protection Act (JuschG).

The current discussions about the regulation of social media show that modern children's and youth media protection is not only focused on protection, but also on qualification and digital participation. The aim is to give children and adolescents the necessary tools in order to be able to navigate confidently and safely through digital habitats.