At the CDU federal convention, Hendrik Streeck, the federal commissioner for drugs and addiction, voiced his latest position on a possible ban of social‑media platforms for minors. He pushed the call for stricter measures, sharpening the details of his proposals.
Streeck said a firm prohibition for children under 14 is justified. “They have not yet developed the ability to reliably see through manipulative platform mechanisms” he told the “Rheinische Post”. He stressed that the move is protection-not paternalism.
He outlined a gradual shift as children age. “Exclusion should be replaced by clear protective stipulations and a growing sense of personal responsibility” he explained. “Platforms must assume extra duty of care for younger users and design their systems around safety rather than maximum engagement”. He also called for consistent enforcement of existing law at all ages.
Effective technology is a cornerstone of the strategy. “Age‑verification standards must be reliable” Streeck said. He added that media literacy programs and parental support are essential, framing youth media protection as a public‑health and democratic‑stability issue, not a cultural battleground.
Digital participation, he argued, remains vital but must occur within a safe, health‑supportive framework. “It’s a matter of the well‑being and development of our children” he said.
Streeck highlighted the alarming trend he sees today: one in four children displays problematic or risky behaviour online. He attributes this to business models that chase maximum attention-endless feeds, autoplay, highly refined algorithms-all of which collide with developing brains. Add to that content that can disturb or radicalise, and platforms facilitate the spread of violence, extremism, and anti‑democratic rhetoric.
“Ineffective self‑regulation is naïve; the reality demands binding age standards and enforceable rules”. He urged a evidence‑based, cross‑party approach to safeguard young minds in the digital age.