Majority of Germans Want Social Media Crackdown: Survey

Germany Wants Tougher Social Media Laws, Says Poll

Major tech companies, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram, will be held responsible...

Most Germans support an Australia-style social media ban, with 77% of respondents backing the idea in a recent poll. This comes as Australia has passed legislation banning children under 16 from using social media, enforcing the world's strictest regulations on platform usage by minors.

A recent survey of approximately 2,000 individuals has revealed that the majority of respondents believe social media has a detrimental impact on children and adolescents. This perception is reflected in the widespread support for a social media ban similar to Australia's.

According to a YouGov poll obtained by the dpa news agency, a significant 77% of respondents expressed support for similar legislation in Germany, with 47% stating they would “fully” support it and 30% indicating “somewhat” support. Conversely, 13% of those surveyed opposed the idea, while the remaining respondents were undecided.

The survey also uncovered a striking consensus regarding the effects of social media on young people. A substantial 82% of respondents were either “absolutely certain” (43%) or “somewhat certain” (39%) that social media use is detrimental to children and teenagers.

Respondents attributed the harmful effects of social media on young people to two primary factors: the content on social media platforms and the addictive nature of these platforms. While some respondents emphasized the role of content, others focused on the addictive potential. Notably, 52% of respondents believed that both factors contribute equally to the detrimental effects.

A small minority of respondents, approximately 9%, did not believe that social media poses any threat to the well-being of young people.

Australia has recently passed a landmark law aimed at protecting children from the potential harms of social media. The law, which received bipartisan support, holds social media platforms accountable for allowing minors under the age of 16 to create accounts. Non-compliant platforms will face substantial fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately €30.5 million or $32 million).

Major tech companies, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram, will be held responsible for verifying the age of their users under the new Australian law. To ensure compliance, these platforms will need to implement effective age verification measures. Notably, the legislation does not impose penalties on parents or users, placing the onus on tech companies to enforce the age restriction.

The Australian government plans to implement the law within a year. Before its enforcement, various methods for verifying age will be tested and refined. The government aims to identify effective and practical solutions for tech companies to comply with the legislation.

Certain platforms will be exempt from the law, including those focused on education, messaging, gaming, and mental health. These exemptions acknowledge the importance of these platforms in promoting positive outcomes for young people, while also recognizing the need to protect minors from the potential harms of social media.

Critics of the new Australian law have raised concerns that banning minors from social media platforms may inadvertently drive teenagers to seek out unregulated online spaces. These concerns suggest that, in attempting to protect young people, the law may ultimately expose them to greater risks and more detrimental influences.

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