Spain is implementing stricter measures to shield children from harmful online content, following a trend seen across Europe with similar initiatives in Denmark and France. This legislative proposal includes requiring parental consent for social media access for minors and holding platform executives legally accountable for illegal content. The government aims to combat disinformation and hate speech by investigating algorithms that amplify such content for profit, aligning with the EU’s Digital Services Act which mandates platforms to mitigate online risks. The European Commission, responsible for enforcing these regulations on large platforms, has previously fined X for transparency violations.
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Meta has reported removing nearly 550,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 across its platforms in response to Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act 2024, which went into effect in December. The social media ban restricts access to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. While complying with the law, Meta is urging the Australian government to collaborate with the industry for a more effective solution. The company suggests incentivizing the industry to improve safety standards and implement age verification tools to protect young users across all apps, thereby avoiding the need for blanket bans.
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A recent amendment proposed by a cross-party group of House of Lords Peers seeks to ban children in the UK from using VPNs. If enacted, VPN providers would be obligated to implement stringent age verification measures for all UK users, and the government would establish a monitoring regime to enforce compliance. This proposal aims to prevent children from circumventing age verification under the Online Safety Act. While supported by various Lords members, the amendment’s future remains uncertain as it requires approval from both the House of Lords and the House of Commons before becoming law.
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The European Parliament has passed a resolution advocating for a ban on social media use for children under 16, with parental consent being an exception. This non-binding resolution aims to address growing concerns about the potential mental health risks associated with unrestricted internet access for minors. The European Commission is currently evaluating Australia’s similar ban, and a panel of experts is expected to advise on the best approach to protect children online. The resolution also calls for the disabling of addictive features on internet platforms used by minors, such as infinite scrolling and excessive notifications.
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The European Parliament is considering a proposal to ban children under 16 from social media platforms. Citing concerning data on young people’s internet usage and potential risks, the Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) has drafted a resolution advocating for a harmonized digital age limit across the EU. This resolution, which will be voted on in a plenary session, also suggests applying the same age limit to video-sharing platforms and AI assistants, with the possibility of a harmonized digital age limit of 13 years. While the European Commission has been working on measures to protect minors online, it has previously resisted imposing an EU-wide digital age, leaving the decision to member states.
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Denmark is set to introduce a minimum age of 15 for certain social media platforms, following Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s concerns regarding youth mental health. This decision, supported by a majority of the parliament, aims to protect children and young people from harmful content online. The government will also invest 160 million Danish kroner in initiatives to strengthen online child protection and improve the digital landscape. While the specific platforms and enforcement methods are yet to be announced, parental consent may allow access for children as young as 13.
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AP News reports that Denmark’s government has announced plans to ban social media access for anyone under 15, aiming to protect children from harmful online content and commercial interests. This move, which would be among the most restrictive in the EU, would allow some parents to grant access from age 13 after a specific assessment, but enforcement methods remain unclear. Minister for Digital Affairs Caroline Stage cited the high percentage of young children with social media profiles and the risks they face as driving forces behind the legislation. Denmark’s government plans to introduce an age-verification app, allowing them to ensure tech platforms comply with age restrictions, or face potential fines.
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As part of a government initiative to combat violence against women and girls, online pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation will be outlawed. This decision follows a review highlighting the normalization of choking in mainstream porn and its potential impact on young people. Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill will criminalize both possessing and publishing such content, with online platforms mandated to detect and remove it. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) emphasized that this move elevates choking in pornography to a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, akin to child sexual abuse material and terrorism content.
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New amendments to the Crime and Policing bill will criminalize pornography featuring strangulation or suffocation, requiring tech platforms to prevent UK users from accessing such content. This follows recommendations from a government review highlighting the normalization of strangulation and its associated dangers, including potential brain damage. Simultaneously, the time limit for prosecuting victims of intimate image abuse will be extended from six months to three years. Platforms failing to comply with the ban on choking content will face significant fines, emphasizing the government’s commitment to combating online misogyny and the harmful effects of violent pornography.
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The news of a middle school student arrested in an alleged sextortion scheme involving hundreds of potential victims is, frankly, a lot to take in. It’s one of those stories that makes you pause and really consider the state of things. The core of the issue, as the police describe it, is this: young male students thought they were exchanging photos with a girl online, but they were actually communicating with another boy who then used those images to demand money, threatening to distribute them if the demands weren’t met. The scale of this, with hundreds of potential victims, is staggering.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood