PRAGUE: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Sunday expressed his support for banning access to social media for children under 15, as many Europe nation consider similar measures aimed at creating a safer digital environment for young people
“I am in favor because the experts I know say that it is terribly harmful to children. We must protect our children,” Babis said in a video message posted on social media.
Most recently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that his country will ban social media for teenagers under the age of 16 and require platforms to introduce robust age-verification systems.
Sánchez said Spain has joined five other European nations in what he called the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” a group aimed at coordinating and enforcing cross-border digital regulation. He did not identify the countries involved, and his office did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.
Earlier, Greece, Britain, and France have also announced tougher stances on social media use due to its negative effects on children. It is pertinent to mention that Australia, in December last year, became the first country to ban access to social media for the under-16s.
Later in the day, the government’s first deputy Prime Minister, Karel Havlicek, told a television talk show on private broadcaster CNN Prima News that the cabinet was seriously considering proposing a ban. He added that if the plan moves forward, legislation would be introduced later this year.
