Germany Backs Tighter Restrictions on Children’s Social Media Use

Germany’s ruling party on Saturday approved a proposal to ban children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms and to impose stricter digital age-verification checks for teenagers, marking the latest step in a growing European effort to tighten online protections for minors.

During a party conference in Stuttgart, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for fines on digital platforms that fail to enforce the restrictions and urged the adoption of harmonized age standards across the European Union.

The proposal reflects mounting concern across Europe over the impact of social media on children’s mental health, privacy and exposure to harmful content.

An increasing number of countries, including Spain, Greece, France and the United Kingdom, are examining similar measures, ranging from outright bans for younger users to stricter access controls on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

The European push follows Australia, which last year became the first country to require platforms to restrict access for children under sweeping new legislation.

European governments are intensifying pressure on social media companies, despite the risk of political backlash from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened tariffs and sanctions if EU states impose new digital taxes or online regulations that could harm American technology firms.

The CDU proposal calls on the federal government to set a legal minimum age of 14 for social media use and to recognize the need for enhanced digital protections for minors up to age 16.