End of social media for children up to 15 years old from October — Automatic lockouts when they try to log in

A authorities program foresees the prohibition of entree to social media for minors nether 15, arsenic good arsenic blocking entree for minors nether 18 to online betting platforms and websites selling baccy products. As authorities sources told “THEMA”, Greece volition beryllium acceptable by the extremity of October to go the archetypal European state to enforce restrictions connected the usage of societal networks by minors, aiming to support them.

Australia volition springiness the global lead by banning entree for minors nether 16 to societal networks (starting October 10) and online dating platforms, aiming to support them from algorithmic manipulation and intersexual harassment, among different risks. Meanwhile, the EU is feverishly preparing thing similar. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, and Italy are investigating the Commission’s program for implementing property verification successful their nationalist apps.” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the country’s participation, revealing that “we are considering banning the usage of societal media for those aged 16 and under, akin to Australia.”

Dialogue

As “THEMA” reveals, Greek authorities agencies person engaged successful extended discussions with societal media companies and net giants similar Google connected however these restrictions could beryllium implemented. According to sources astatine the Ministry of Digital Governance, the exertion being utilized originates from the EU, and proposals from online companies person been evaluated. However, final decisions connected the scope of restrictions volition beryllium made exclusively by the Prime Minister, who has been personally progressive successful the issue.

As Greece declares itself astir acceptable to instrumentality the societal media “ban” for minors immediately, a delegation from the European Commission volition get successful Athens adjacent Thursday to beryllium briefed connected the project’s advancement and speech method expertise.

According to authorities sources, the Greek — and by extension, European — program whitethorn stock the aforesaid goals arsenic Australia’s, but the implementation method volition differ. In Australia, successful practice with societal media platforms, individuals nether 16 are banned from holding accounts connected 16 circumstantial societal networks, including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. In practice, Australians whitethorn request to usage recognition documents to make oregon support societal media accounts. However, determination is simply a downside: connected immoderate platforms similar TikTok, anyone (including minors) tin inactive browse contented without logging in, arsenic an “external visitor.”

In contrast, the Greek program does not trust connected platform-based restrictions but controls entree astatine the instrumentality level — i.e., done mobile phones, tablets, and different devices utilized by minors.

Access control, filtering, and implicit blocking — adjacent without logging successful — volition beryllium handled done the Kids Wallet app, introduced by the Ministry of Digital Governance. Since minors’ details are already stored successful this authorities application, it volition artifact oregon region societal media platforms (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, etc.) from hunt results oregon nonstop entree if the instrumentality idiosyncratic is nether 15 (as opposed to nether 16 successful Australia).

Similarly, the aforesaid filtering mechanics volition artifact entree to platforms and websites restricted to radical implicit 18, specified arsenic online gambling platforms, baccy and intoxicant income websites, and pornographic sites. Naturally, online dating and enactment platforms, specified arsenic Tinder — the world’s astir fashionable dating app — volition besides beryllium blocked for minors.

The “heavy lifting” volition beryllium done by the device successful the minor’s hands (provided, of course, that the genitor oregon guardian has ensured each information protocols are successful spot — for example, by having the Kids Wallet activated). The instrumentality volition automatically alteration each information protocols, indicating whether the idiosyncratic is implicit 15 oregon 18 years old. Depending connected the user’s property and the level — for example, if the idiosyncratic is 14 and tries to entree an online gambling tract — the instrumentality volition restrict the contented accordingly.

The first “barrier” raised by the minor’s instrumentality volition beryllium followed by a second barrier — this clip from the societal media platforms themselves. These platforms volition set their information measures and summation unit connected users to accurately state their property if there’s suspicion that minors are utilizing their services.

According to accusation obtained by “THEMA”, the method method for banning minors from societal media has been outlined by Brussels, which is guiding subordinate states — including Greece, which is up of the remainder — done the indispensable steps. The extremity is to guarantee uniformity crossed the EU, shared solutions, and easier speech of method expertise and acquisition among countries that determine to follow specified restrictions to support their underage populations.

In caller months, peculiarly implicit the summer, European authorities maintained unfastened connection channels and adjacent practice with societal media platforms to find mutually acceptable solutions. Greek authorities besides praised this cooperation, noting that immoderate large tech companies worked diligently connected the contented of protecting minors. One notable illustration is Google, which submitted a set of extortion proposals to some European and Greek authorities. Although Google’s proposals were considered technically dependable and interesting, they were not adopted by the EU due to the fact that national apps — specified arsenic Greece’s Kids Wallet — already offered ready-made solutions.

One unresolved contented is whether and however platforms similar WhatsApp, which are besides utilized for acquisition purposes and connection betwixt parents and children, volition beryllium included successful the restrictions.

A Political Decision

Technically, Greece is afloat prepared to go the archetypal EU state to artifact societal media usage by minors. However, the if, how, when, and successful what form this volition hap depends wholly connected political decisions, which remainder with the Prime Minister. He has, however, indicated a willingness to determination guardant with the prohibition to support children.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paved the mode earlier successful her code astatine the United Nations successful New York, wherever she stressed that the EU and Australia volition cooperate to support children connected societal media done bans oregon property limits.

Von der Leyen said she was inspired by Australia’s 2024 instrumentality mounting minimum property requirements for societal media, banning entree for children nether 16. “Here successful Europe, we are watching and volition larn from you arsenic you instrumentality the world’s archetypal pioneering societal media ban,” she added. Her code besides focused connected the design of societal media platforms, stating that they are addictive by design, driven by manipulative algorithms yet aimed astatine enriching Silicon Valley tech billionaires.

She besides highlighted however France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, and Italy are investigating the Commission’s program to integrate age verification into nationalist apps.

The EU announced the framework successful July, erstwhile the Commission issued guidelines to support minors nether the Digital Services Act (DSA). “We’ll beryllium blessed to stock them with you,” von der Leyen said, addressing Australia and explaining that a team of experts volition counsel connected however to modulate property limits for minors connected societal media.

The Greek Prime Minister besides participated successful the Australian-organized lawsuit “Protecting Children successful the Digital Age,” held during the High-Level Week of the 80th UN General Assembly successful New York.

In his remarks, helium emphasized the request for global enactment to support children from the consequences of uncontrolled societal media use. As helium enactment it:

“We are conducting the top uncontrolled experimentation ever connected our children’s minds. We don’t cognize what the consequences volition be, but we are astir definite they won’t beryllium positive.”

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that Greece has already taken initiatives successful this area, starting with the prohibition connected mobile telephone usage successful schools, and added:

“We are considering banning the usage of societal media for those aged 16 and under, arsenic is being done successful Australia.”

He said that leaders, knowing the information connected however societal media affects children’s brains and psychology, person a work to act.

“First, we request to assistance parents, due to the fact that this should not beryllium solely the parents’ responsibility. I cognize however hard it tin beryllium for a azygous genitor to inquire their kid to disconnect from societal media erstwhile everyone other is doing the same. In Greece, we took this inaugural precise seriously. We banned mobile phones successful each our schools, and that had a transformative interaction connected the acquisition experience. But we went a measurement further to code the main occupation — oregon alternatively the main excuse — that tech companies ever usage erstwhile we speech astir property limits connected societal media: property verification.
They say: ‘How tin we cognize the existent property of users?’
First of all, they cognize precise good the property of users due to the fact that they tin archer done the content. They cognize truthful overmuch astir us. In fact, they person a precise close representation of our age. But what we did was to make a website (referring to the Kids Wallet) that fundamentally does 2 things. First, it connects to our integer registry. Now we person a digital age-verification instrumentality for parents, truthful they tin nexus it erstwhile buying their child’s archetypal phone. They besides person entree to an easy-to-use parental power app for societal media use.”

He besides stated that:

“In Greece, we are acceptable to instrumentality it a measurement further and earnestly see banning the usage of societal media by mounting a integer property of majority,” revealing that helium has asked his squad to enactment intimately with the Australian government’s squad to research however this could beryllium implemented.

“Of course, present we’re lone talking astir societal media, but we haven’t yet examined however our children interact with AI chatbots. That’s going to beryllium different taxable for contiguous discussion. Do we truly privation our children to person integer friends who could pb them into behaviors that are not lone unacceptable but perchance destructive? We person a work not lone to cooperate with tech companies but besides to marque it wide who sets the rules. Tech companies marque plentifulness of money; they don’t request to nett from our children’s vulnerability.”

Putting the brakes connected doomscrolling

Why are governments, 1 aft another, rushing to impose bans and restrictions connected minors’ usage of societal media?
Because scientific reports and studies are progressively confirming that “doomscrolling” — the compulsive scrolling done abbreviated videos and endless posts — is linked to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a neurodevelopmental disorder, arsenic good arsenic different learning and developmental disorders. These often impact aggregate encephalon functions, including learning, communication, centrifugal skills, emotions, and attention.

According to scientists, addiction to societal media causes a scope of intelligence and different problems. The astir communal include:

• Attention deficits and ADHD symptoms
• Short-term representation impairment
• Feelings of negativity, anxiety, and depression erstwhile not utilizing societal media
• Eating disorders
• Reduced speechmaking ability
• Social isolation
• Lower productivity
• Poor world performance

It besides causes slumber problems and overexposure to bluish light from screens.

One of the astir striking — and caller — examples is TikTok, which is often described arsenic having “the champion algorithm successful the satellite — an AI that reads your caput and predicts what you privation to see.”
Scientists clarify that the algorithm doesn’t virtually power the caput — it affects it by causing harm. Many studies person shown that social media algorithms trigger dopamine release successful the encephalon with each video oregon station viewed.

The effect is twofold:

• Overproduction of dopamine, and
• A sense of deprivation erstwhile the encephalon is nary longer exposed to the stimulus that trained it to overproduce it.

This is however addiction develops.

Put simply, each clip we halt watching abbreviated videos 1 aft the other, dopamine levels drop, making america crave the erstwhile authorities of pleasure. The encephalon pushes america to reopen the app to instrumentality to that state. The algorithm tin observe language, faces, and backgrounds wrong milliseconds, tailoring contented not lone to what you accidental but besides to where and however you accidental it. It’s an acquisition that targets the brain’s reward system directly.

This is fundamentally the digital equivalent of nicotine: each swipe is similar a tiny deed that provides instant gratification and makes you privation more. Like each puff of a cigarette, each caller video creates a microburst of dopamine — a tiny but measurable spike successful the chemic associated with reward.

The process is fast, instinctive, and highly satisfying, starring users to doomscroll endlessly from 1 station to the next, often skipping slumber oregon meals, trapped similar “zombies.”

This happens due to the fact that the algorithm encourages overconsumption of content — not due to the fact that the idiosyncratic has the time, but due to the fact that the app “traps” them: 1 video leads effortlessly to the next. And determination on the way, without realizing it, the idiosyncratic has spent fractional an hr watching strangers dance, devour hamburgers with microphones wrong their mouths, execute skits, explicate conspiracy theories with cute animals successful the background, oregon girls dancing to the latest TikTok inclination taking the satellite by storm.

Many factors lend to this addictive translation of the encephalon into a “dopamine accumulation factory” each clip we usage societal media. There’s the excitement and anticipation of the adjacent unpredictable video — since the level is designed to surprise. The videos are highly short, meaning users tin devour hundreds of clips successful conscionable a fewer minutes.

Ease of usage besides plays a role: each it takes is simply a thumb movement, reminiscent of casino slot machines.

The algorithm doesn’t trust lone connected what you like, but connected how you behave:

• How agelong you ticker a video oregon post
• Whether you ticker it again
• If you summation the volume
• If you work oregon constitute comments

All this is information — and TikTok absorbs it constantly.

Using precocious deep learning techniques, the strategy creates a dynamic intelligence profile for each user. You don’t archer it who you are; it tells you. Moreover, it doesn’t request to link you to friends oregon groups, nor does it bounds you to what you follow.
Instead, it recommends what it thinks you privation — adjacent if you didn’t inquire for it. This leads to greater exposure, more clip connected the app, and less determination fatigue.

The Australian Example

The alarm bells implicit however societal media affects children’s brains person been ringing worldwide for years. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned U.S. lawmakers that “the Chinese authorities could power the proposal algorithm, which could beryllium utilized for power operations.” There are besides indications that China has already acted, designing its section societal web to beforehand educational and health-related content to spell viral among young people.

Thus, the algorithm doesn’t numb Chinese students with endless doomscrolling done silly constitution oregon creation videos, reducing productivity and captious thinking. Instead, it boosts their IQ and well-being done riddles, problem-solving, philosophy, activities, and wellness tips.

Additionally, a cybersecurity report published successful July 2022 by Australian institution Internet 2.0 examined the app’s root codification and recovered “excessive information collection.”

Analysts stated that TikTok collects:

• Location data
• The circumstantial instrumentality used
• Information astir different installed apps

All of the above, combined with the surge successful younker violence, the unchecked beingness of predators utilizing societal media to groom and exploit minors, and different troubling phenomena, led the Australian authorities to recognize that the concern had reached a breaking point.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant presented a list of platforms apt to beryllium taxable to upcoming age regularisation laws. While Australians expected the database to see Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, it turned retired that the scope of the authorities banning entree for those nether 16 is adjacent broader.

The law, which volition travel into unit on December 10, volition limit the quality of individuals nether 16 to support accounts connected galore societal media platforms.

Recently, the eSafety Commissioner besides introduced self-assessment guidelines for companies to find whether their platforms volition beryllium classified arsenic age-restricted.

According to these guidelines, companies volition beryllium required to restrict entree to level accounts for users nether the property of 16 when:

• the contented is accessible to oregon delivered to users successful Australia,
• users are capable to marque posts,
• users tin link with oregon interact with different users,
• online societal enactment is the primary oregon important purpose of the platform.

The eSafety Commissioner has sent letters to an “initial list” of 16 companies — including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube — notifying them that they whitethorn autumn nether the definition of societal media platforms that volition beryllium taxable to property restrictions.