On Friday, Austria’s ruling coalition unveiled proposals to prohibit children under 14 from using social media, aligning with a global movement among nations to impose limitations on youth online engagement.
Alexander Pröll, who oversees digital policy in Chancellor Christian Stocker’s office, announced that they aim to draft the legislation by the end of June. He emphasized that the age verification process would employ “technically modern methods” to ensure users’ ages are verified while safeguarding their privacy.
The timeline for implementing this minimum age requirement remains uncertain, as it awaits parliamentary endorsement.
In 2024, Australia took a pioneering step by prohibiting social media access for children under 16, aiming to shield them from detrimental content and curb excessive screen time. Meanwhile, Indonesia is set to enact its similar restriction starting Saturday.
Within Europe, France’s legislators approved a measure in January to bar social media access for those under 15, with plans for it to take effect with the new school year in September. Last month, Spain declared intentions to impose a ban for users under 16, while Denmark reached an agreement last fall to restrict access for those under 15. Additionally, the UK government announced in January that it is contemplating a similar restriction for young teenagers.
Austria’s centrist coalition of three parties is now poised to join this burgeoning movement.
“Today is a good day for children for children in our country,” Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler said at a news conference. “In the future, we will protect children and young people with determination against the negative effects of social media platforms.”
“We will no longer look on as these platforms make our children addicted and often also sick,” he said.
The Austrian government plans to accompany the ban with an effort to beef up schools’ teaching of how to use media and deal with artificial intelligence.
