Ahead of this weekend’s CDU federal party convention in Stuttgart, politicians from both the federal level and several states have called for new rules governing the use of social media.
Rhineland‑Palatinate state chairman Gordon Schnieder and the CDU leader of Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, Daniel Peters, both advocate an age limit for accessing social platforms.
Peters told the “Welt” in a July Wednesday interview, “I consider this issue ready for decision”. “The CDU in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern has long demanded a minimum age for social‑media use. Child and youth protection must come first. We are vigilant everywhere, but are we okay with unfiltered social media confronting our youngest with all its content? That can’t continue in light of the highly problematic material on these platforms”.
Schnieder pushed for a state‑wide ban on social media for children under 14, arguing that if evidence shows a threat to young people’s mental health, the state must set clear limits. “I am convinced that where risks are demonstrable, the government must draw firm boundaries-especially when it concerns our children”.
In Schleswig‑Holstein, the CDU intends to put to a vote an age threshold of 16, along with further constraints targeting platform operators. The party’s leadership plans to move the discussion into the party’s specialist committees once the application commission has made its decision. In contrast, the northern CDU caucus insists on a debate and a vote, with state leader Daniel Günther slated to present the motion at the convention.
Family‑policy spokesperson Anne König, of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, also supports a 16‑year‑old minimum. She told a newspaper that the analog world sets clear rules to protect children, whereas these standards are often missing online. She warned that the core spaces for socialisation have shifted from family, school, and public arenas to privately run platform environments. “The power to define attention, visibility, and relevance now lies with companies whose business model relies on behavioural control” she said. “The real power is in the algorithm, not the child. If the state does nothing, it effectively abandons its fundamental protective role”.