Leading politicians from the Union parties say age limits for using social media are necessary. “Social media are neither inherently good nor bad” said Anja Weisgerber, deputy chair of the Union parliamentary group, to “Der Spiegel”. “We don’t want blanket bans, but we need to protect children and teenagers better”. She added that age‑appropriate access could help, and the Union caucus is currently debating how best to implement it.
Klaus Holetschek, the CSU caucus leader in the Bavarian state parliament, remarked that a blanket ban on users under 16 would be hard to enforce. “But online protection for young people must be as strict as it is on the street” he said. He pointed out an unacceptable contradiction: “You’re not allowed into a bar, yet they have unlimited access to violence, pornography and hateful comments on their phones”.
Conrad Clemens, the Saxon Minister of Culture in the CDU, described excessive social‑media use as a kind of disease with long‑term effects. “We should shield our children from it” he said. “There should be a minimum age for social‑media use”. Saxony already bans private phones in elementary schools nationwide, and Clemens suggested the ban could be extended to eighth grade.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a defense policy spokesman for the CDU, stated to “Der Spiegel” that he supports limiting or banning social‑media use for those under 16. He cited studies linking addiction, cyberbullying and misinformation to the risks, insisting that “we must not be swayed by US tech companies”.
Charlotte Beermann, chair of the Christian‑Democratic Students’ Circle-a student association close to the CDU-emphasized that social networks are important communication tools for teens. However, children should be protected from encountering politically extremist content they cannot understand. “It’s a difficult balancing act, but whenever children’s protection is at stake, we must err on the side of caution” she said.