Faced with the debate over a social‑media ban for users under 16, the German Children’s Protection Association is calling for the enforcement of existing laws. “It is time to enforce current regulations before we try to exclude young people wholesale” said Sabine Andresen, president of the association, in a statement to the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday.
A blanket ban would not reduce the complex risks that children and adolescents face online. Andresen pointed out that youth will find ways to bypass restrictions, using other platforms to meet and communicate. She noted that measures already exist, such as graduated unlocking of certain features based on age and low‑threshold reporting systems for problematic content, but these are “simply not implemented by the platforms” she said.
The president urged that platforms be held more accountable. “Without reliable age‑verification systems, a ban would be nothing more than a free pass for platform operators to abandon all efforts to protect children and young people” Andresen warned.