After the knife attack in Villach and the murderous Spree in Graz, there is a craft for young people after regulating social media. There is a legal framework. Only the law is ignored by Tiktok & Co. Austria requires strict laws of the EU committee.
It is a short section in the ministerial reading on the “measures due to the Graz attack”, which can easily be overlooked. In this, the government strives for “transparent and functional limitation of social media to protect children and young people”. In clear language this means: the triple coalition works on a measure to enable access to social media only from a certain age.
Mandatory age verification system for Tiktok & Co.
There is already a legal framework in Austria. According to data protection legislation, young people can only use social media platforms independently of the age of 14. The core of the case: the law is toothless and is de facto ignored by the platforms.
How can this shortcoming be remedied? The social media groups must be forced to master age by strict EU laws. “Platforms must finally be obliged to reliably check the age of their users. Similar to how banks identify their customers, the use of social media platforms is also needed to have compulsory age verification systems,” said Alexander Pröll, State Secretary for Digitization. He also argues for the ban on social media up to 14 years.
Number of online radicalization has doubled since 2022
Spö State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried received the initiative of the federal government. The intelligence services, which are particularly aimed at the increasing radicalization by social media, are focused in his area of responsibility. “The cases of online radicalization have doubled in the year alone. It is our job to prevent children in digital ultrasound rooms with only hatred and conspiracy theories,” said Leichtfried.
Strict EU-wide laws are needed
A strong lever for this would be the EU Digital Services Act – in particular Article 28, which clearly regulates the responsibility of the platforms in the field of child protection. Austria has contacted other EU member states such as France, Croatia or Denmark in a letter to the EU Commissioner for Digitization and the Education Commissioner to increase the pressure.
In France, too, this question, after a murder of a school supervisor, is heavily discussed by a 14-year-old. President Emmanuel Macron provided an ultimatum to the EU. “We must forbid access to social media for children under the age of 15,” the head of state said. “I give us a few months to get a European approach. Otherwise we will start in France.”
16 years would be the ideal initial age
Media -educators would welcome strict controls. “We need regulations. The consumption of social media is addictive. Children are addictive. Social media trigger depression, eating disorders and other health problems,” warns media educator Lukas Wagner.
The expert sees 16 years as a real starting age. Wagner is also convinced that a corresponding law would bring lighting into educational work. “The tensions in the nursery would lose weight.” If all children are not allowed to consume social media, the group pressure will disappear. “Social media use the best developers in the world. The children are practically competing against global companies. How should they exist in the nursery against this superiority?” Asks expert Wagner.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
