Copyright timesnownews
Denmark's government has proposed a ban on social media access for individuals under 15 years of age, responding to rising concerns about the dangers of digital exposure for children. The plan would allow parents, after specific assessments, to permit access from age 13 if they wished. If the measure is imposed, it would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European Union government to limit use of social media among teens and younger children. According to Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs, 94% of Danish children under age 13 have profiles on at least one social media platform, and more than half of those under 10 do. "The amount of time they spend online — the amount of violence, self-harm that they are exposed to online — is simply too great a risk for our children," she told The Associated Press. "They (tech companies) have an absurd amount of money available, but they’re simply not willing to invest in the safety of our children, invest in the safety of all of us." Legislation may take months Stage said Denmark's legislative push was "not about excluding children from everything digital", but keeping them away from harmful content. Moreover, the ban won't take effect immediately. It will likely take months to pass relevant legislation. Her ministry said pressure from tech giants' business models was "too massive." "I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won't do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there is no loopholes for the tech giants to go through," Stage said. Many governments have been grappling with ways of limiting harmful fallout from online technologies. Denmark's proposal follows Australia’s groundbreaking law last December, the world's first social media ban for children under 16. (With AP inputs)
