German Minister of Education and Family, Karin Prien, Calls for Effective Age Verification in Social Media to Protect Children and Youth
In a recent interview, German Minister of Education and Family, Karin Prien, emphasized the need for effective age verification in social media to protect children and youth from harmful and explicit content. According to Prien, the current lack of regulation leaves minors vulnerable to exposure to violent, pornographic and extremist content online.
Prien, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), argued that those who claim that age verification is not necessary are misleading the public. She likened the situation to allowing children to enter a brothel or a liquor store, stating that a robust age verification system is essential for protecting minors online.
This stance is in line with a previous demand Prien made at the Republica conference, where she called for age verification as a means of effective regulation. In response to criticism from the Free Democratic Party’s (FDP) Wolfgang Kubicki, who accused her of seeking to restrict freedom of opinion, Prien strongly rejected the claim. She attributed the criticism to the reflexive reaction of some politicians and media outlets to certain buzzwords, rather than a genuine understanding of the issue.
Prien’s primary concern, she emphasized, is the protection of children and youth, not the restriction of freedom of opinion in social media. Her call for effective age verification is aimed at ensuring the online safety of minors, rather than stifling online discourse.