Few things are as potentially dangerous to children in developed nations as social media, and though many governments and organizations have made efforts to raise awareness of its dangers, it hasn’t been nearly enough. That being said, the European Union’s proposal to make it illegal for people under the age of sixteen to have social media accounts might not be the solution. Several groups have already criticized the proposed restrictions, not only on the grounds that it would hinder the ability of children to access the numerous benefits of the Web, but that there’s no way for social media companies to reliably confirm that someone isn’t just lying about their age or faking a parent’s consent.
A new change to EU data protection laws could make it illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to have accounts on social media sites, access emails, download apps, and possibly even use search engines without their parents’ consent. The move could see tech-savvy teens banned from sites and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. Teenagers under 16 make up a large portion of these companies’ users, and several US tech groups are lobbying against the proposals. The proposed amendments would make it illegal for services such as social media sites to collect information on users under 16 without their parents consent. It’s unclear how the services would confirm that consent, and many are worried it will result in young teens lying about their age while important online support services are restricted. Currently, social networks and many other sites have a minium age of 13, in compliance with European and American laws. Should the new laws be agreed – which are due to be voted on by an EU committee this Thursday – then countries will have two years to implement them. Failure to do so could mean fines of up to four percent of an organization’s annual turnover, and that could mean companies like Facebook having to pay out millions of dollars. Several groups have voiced their opposition to the proposals, including The Diana Award Youth Board, which aims to protect children from bullying.