Heidi Reichinnek, the chair of the Left Party’s parliamentary group, regards the SPD’s proposals to restrict social‑media usage for children and teenagers with caution. “It’s absolutely sensible that we finally discuss how people-especially young people-can be better protected on social media” she told “Der Spiegel”. “But blanket bans for kids and teens are not the answer; they also have a right to digital participation”.
Reichinnek argues that instead of punishing users, the companies that provide these services should be held accountable. She notes that the European Union already has the Digital Services Act, which needs to be consistently enforced. “We must make sure this law is carried out in effect” she added.
In addition to stricter enforcement, she calls for:
” improved reporting mechanisms for users;
” clearer consequences for misbehavior on platforms;
” faster removal of offending content;
” better resources for youth work to teach responsible media habits.
“We also need European social‑media platforms in the long term, so we are less dependent on the existing services and the problems they bring” Reichinnek stated. The politician, who boasts hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, underlines the urgency of these measures.
Earlier, the SPD’s Bundestag faction had presented a concept paper that would ban platforms such as TikTok and Instagram for children under 14, while requiring mandatory “youth versions” of these services for users aged 14 to 16.