new guidelines to guard minors | EUROtoday

The knot of age

The challenge of age stays central. A key facet of defending kids on-line is the age from which minors can consent to the processing of their private information and entry social media platforms. In reality, as could be seen within the graph on the web page (on the left), the minimal age for giving consent varies from one EU member state to a different. At European stage, the GDPR requires parental consent for the processing of minors’ private information on social media as much as the age of 16. However, Member States can decrease this threshold to 13 years.

A framework as articulated because the scientific literature cited by the report «Protecting kids on-line Selected EU, nationwide and regional legal guidelines and initiatives» edited by the European Parliamentary Research Service. “Researchers’ opinions differ on the idea of ​​fixing the majority of digital at a specific age,” it reads.

«In his 2024 ebook «The Anxious Generation», US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recommends ready till adolescence is effectively underway (round 14-16 years previous) earlier than introducing smartphones and social media, as youthful kids are extra vulnerable to detrimental impacts.

In distinction, in a 2025 article, S. Livingstone and KR Sylwander argue that it’s troublesome to ascertain a particular age, since particular person maturity varies from baby to baby.”

At school

The report additionally analyzes how the ban on smartphones at college can also be on the middle of the talk in lots of Member States. Greece, France, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal have determined nationwide to ban cell telephones in colleges. In France, the ban additionally extends to off-site college actions.