(de-news.net) – Germany’s federal government and education officials have welcomed the European Commission’s proposed “Kids Act,” which would introduce graduated age restrictions on social media and require platforms to implement stronger child-safety measures. The plan would limit children under 13’s access to social media, mandate parental supervision for younger teens, and generally allow independent accounts starting at age 15. Additionally, complementary national initiatives centered on media literacy, parental guidance, and AI education are supported by German officials.
The announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of proposed EU legislation imposing age restrictions on social media has drawn support from German government representatives, who have emphasized both stronger safeguards for minors and the continued importance of participation in digital life. Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) argued that, in principle, children under 3 should grow up without exposure to screens and endorsed a minimum age of 13 for social-media use. She also backed a “safety by design” approach under which platforms would have to demonstrate that their services are safe for children, alongside mandatory secure default settings. From Prien’s perspective, EU-level regulation could ease the responsibility placed on parents by ensuring that children’s devices are configured with stronger safeguards from the outset. Against the backdrop of established concerns about the effects of unregulated social-media consumption on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, she called for the EU to move quickly.
Prien also argued that Germany should supplement the forthcoming EU framework with national legislation. The objective, she said, should extend beyond restricting access to helping young people develop the ability to use social media appropriately while preserving their participation in digital life. Better information and guidance for parents, together with efforts to introduce children to artificial intelligence at an early age, would form part of that broader approach. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) similarly supported a statutory minimum age for social media, maintaining that children and adolescents require stronger protection in the digital environment. She also argued that the Commission’s announcement should be followed rapidly by concrete safeguards rather than leaving minors without defined protections for additional years.
Anna Stolz (Free Voters), president of the Conference of Education Ministers, likewise welcomed the Commission’s strategy. Its age-based structure, she argued, points toward a graduated model in which the level of protection increases as children become younger. At the same time, Stolz emphasized that children and adolescents should be able to benefit from the opportunities offered by digital technologies without being exposed to their risks without adequate protection. Media literacy and clear guidance remain important elements of that effort, she said, but parents and schools cannot provide sufficient protection on their own. Greater responsibility for online platforms would therefore form an important part of the proposed framework.
New EU rules would target age access, platform design, and online risks
Under the European Commission’s proposal, children younger than 13 would be prevented from maintaining social-media accounts or using devices to access such services. Limited access to child-friendly video platforms through parental accounts would nevertheless remain possible. Beginning at age 13, minors would initially be limited to parent-created and supervised accounts, with use restricted to up to one hour per day. Independent social-media accounts would generally become possible from age 15. The framework would also require platforms to establish mechanisms for verifying the ages of their users, placing a greater responsibility for age controls on online service providers.
The proposed framework would further require online services to demonstrate that they provide an environment that is safe for children, including through protective functions and secure default settings. The proposal has now been submitted to the European Parliament and the EU member states, beginning the process through which the legislation would be examined and potentially adopted. Its implementation is therefore not immediate, and the legislative process could take months or, potentially, years before the proposed requirements take effect.
The so-called ‘Kids Act’ is intended to establish a common EU framework for strengthening children’s safety online. Its approach rests on four principal elements: delaying access to social media, incorporating safety by design, applying age-appropriate data protection measures, and ensuring effective enforcement. The proposed requirements would also address specific platform features, including endless scrolling and unsolicited contact from strangers, which services would be expected to restrict. Von der Leyen has presented the initiative as a shift in responsibility toward the platforms themselves: rather than leaving parents to manage online risks primarily through individual device settings, providers would have to demonstrate that their services are fundamentally safe for children while giving parents greater control and practical tools to help their children navigate the online environment.
