(de-news.net) – Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, has advanced the proposition that individuals under the age of sixteen should be precluded from accessing social media platforms. She underscored that phenomena such as the propagation of hate speech and cybergrooming — defined as the intentional manipulation of minors within digital environments — constitute substantive threats to the cognitive and emotional maturation of children and adolescents. While conceding that such regulatory intervention may be perceived as paternalistic in nature, she contended that the imposition of age-related access controls represents a pragmatic and potentially efficacious response to these hazards.

The Commissioner opposed mandatory submission of government-issued IDs for age verification, calling it incompatible with informational self-determination. She proposed a digital wallet system enabling users to verify age by releasing only a relevant data point—such as birth date—without revealing full credentials.

Currently developed by Digital Affairs Minister Karsten Wildberger, the wallet must meet several data protection standards. Specht-Riemenschneider stressed decentralized storage, where documents remain with issuing authorities and are accessed only through the wallet. She highlighted the importance of user consent for each data transaction to avoid vulnerabilities of centralized systems. Pending thorough evaluation, she believes the technology can align with existing data protection laws.