Overview
- The French National Assembly backed a bill barring under‑15s from social networks, and President Emmanuel Macron wants it in place by the next school year.
- In Germany, the CDU recently endorsed restricting platforms for under‑14s at its federal party conference, intensifying a nationwide policy debate.
- A DAK study found 21.5% of 10–17 year‑olds use social media at risky levels and 6.6% at pathological levels.
- Specialists cite addictive design features—endless scroll, unpredictable rewards, social validation, and algorithmic amplification—as drivers of harm for young users.
- Opponents question enforceability and warn age checks or real‑name rules could erode privacy and speech, while many experts favor pairing limits with transparency, opt‑in personalization, parent education, and school programs.