Austria plans social media ban for under-14s

Austria plans social media ban for under-14s Just now Share Save Bethany Bell Vienna correspondent Share Save Austria has announced plans to ban social media for childred aged under 14, becoming the latest country to consider introducing restrictions for children online. It follows lengthy negotiations within the conservative-led three-party coalition government, but it is not yet clear how or when the ban will be implemented. Announcing the plans, Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democrats said the government could not stand by and watch as social media made children "addicted and also often ill". He said it was the responsibility of politicians to protect children and argued that the issue should be treated no different to alcohol or tobacco: "There must be clear rules in the digital world too." In future, said Babler, children under 14 would be protected from algorithms that were addictive. "Other information providers have clear rules to protect young people from harmful content." These, he said, should now be implemented in the digital space. Austria is the latest among a growing number of countries to consider restricting social media access for children, citing concerns about potentially harmful content made available to them on the platforms. In a landmark case in the US on Wednesday , a jury found two social media giants had intentionally built addictive algorithms that harmed young people's mental health. Social media companies point to under-13s being disallowed from joining their platforms - though questions remain about how strictly this is enforced - and versions of their sites with parental controls when challenged on questions of harm. Australia introduced a ban for under-16s in December, becoming the first nation to do so. France's lower house approved a ban for under-15s in January. In a post on X French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Austria for "joining the movement". The UK government has launched a consultation on banning social ...