In a recent op-ed for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s spokesperson for education, family, youth, women and seniors, Anne König, has called for the creation of a new criminal offense to address the targeted dissemination of real violent incidents online.
König argues that a connection exists between the widespread dissemination of violent content on social media by minors and the increase in the number of minors suspected of committing violent crimes. She believes that the current regulatory framework for social networks in German law is incomplete, as the existing provisions in the criminal code for the depiction of violence and the protection of personal life do not provide sufficient protection for minors.
König also proposes holding social media platform operators more accountable, suggesting that they be held liable for the psychological or social harm caused to minors through their algorithms. She recommends introducing a new liability norm into the German Civil Code to achieve this.
Furthermore, König advocates for the regulation of the obligation for social networks to ensure reliable age verification in the German law. “For social media operators, this means: If you do not take effective measures to control ages, but instead turn a blind eye out of economic interests, you must be shut down” König demands. “Your app should no longer be available in app stores or anywhere else in the network – for no one anymore.