Concerns regarding the impact of social media on young people are prompting renewed calls for stricter regulations and potential age restrictions. Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, has voiced support for the possibility of banning users under the age of 16 from social media platforms, acknowledging the “paternalistic” nature of such a measure while emphasizing the need to better protect vulnerable young individuals.
Specht-Riemenschneider highlighted the dangers posed by online grooming and hate speech, stating they represent “massive risks” to the development of children and adolescents. While advocating for age verification, she also expressed reservations about requiring users to upload identification documents, emphasizing the need for data minimization. She suggested a digital wallet solution as a potentially viable option, allowing users to selectively release age verification data.
The proposal aligns with plans by Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger, who intends to create a digital wallet for securely storing personal documents, including driving licenses and credit cards. Specht-Riemenschneider stressed that the wallet’s implementation must prioritize data protection principles, advocating for decentralized data storage and the wallet acting merely as a retrieval mechanism. Her vision includes ensuring the retention of original documents – for example, keeping driving licenses with the issuing authority – with the digital wallet providing access to a digital representation when needed.
Data protection remains central to the concept. Specht-Riemenschneider emphasized the importance of enabling users to authorize each individual data access through the wallet, minimizing the potential for misuse. She conveyed confidence that a data-protection compliant digital wallet can be achieved, adding that her office will closely monitor its design and implementation.