In a joint statement with eleven points, the signatories oppose calls for a complete ban on platforms such as Instagram or TikTok for minors. The alliance includes the Federal Student Conference, the Federal Parents’ Council, the children’s charity Kindernothilfe, the AWO Federal Association, and the Montessori Federal Association. They argue that social networks are “elementary places for communication with friends, orientation, information, entertainment, and networking” for young people.
Access to these digital spaces is “elementary for the social and digital participation of children and adolescents,” the paper states. Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder said: “What matters is that children gradually learn to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.” The alliance therefore calls for better training for parents and teachers, as well as strengthening platform oversight, for example by increasing staff at the relevant EU bodies.
The Union faction in the Bundestag, meanwhile, is pursuing a different approach. According to a position paper seen by Die Zeit, the CDU/CSU is advocating for age verification using the e-ID function of the ID card. Platforms would have to apply for an age classification corresponding to their youth protection risk. The faction also wants to tighten criminal law for digital violence such as cybergrooming and better protect young people’s mental health.
The alliance also advocates for more child-friendly digital offerings, especially for older elementary school children. It also supports the use of “trusted flaggers” – trustworthy whistleblowers such as consumer centers or HateAid – to quickly remove harmful content. The debate remains current: On Wednesday, an expert commission will hand over its recommendations on protecting children and adolescents in the digital world to the federal government.
Source: www.zeit.de
