German Ethics Council Rejects Blanket Minimum Age for Social Media

Frister also pointed to existing regulation: "Für ein solches Schutzkonzept bietet die seit Februar 2024 geltende Regulierung der Onlineplattformen im Digital Services Act der Europäischen Union bereits eine gute Grundlage." However, this would have to be "noch wesentlich effektiver umgesetzt" and providers would have to be "stärker in die Pflicht genommen werden."

The Ethics Council argues that an exclusive fixation on social media obscures dangers from other digital services. Risks arise less from entire categories of offerings than from specific features such as endless feeds, which automatically deliver ever new content. Children also differ significantly in their maturity – both within individual age groups and between them.

The body emphasizes that the protection of minors must be weighed against their interest in digital participation and the acquisition of concrete skills. A blanket ban would impair this development and interfere "auf unverhältnismäßige Art und Weise" with parents' right, anchored in the Basic Law, to help shape their children's access to digital media.

The Three-Tiered Protection Model

Specifically, the Ethics Council proposes a three-tiered model. In the first tier, parents should enter their children's age when configuring end devices and thereby regulate usage times or app access. "Technisch würde diese Kontrolle durch die Eingabe des Alters der Kinder bei der Konfiguration der Endgeräte sowie durch die Regulierung von Nutzungszeiten oder des Zugangs auf Apps auf den Endgeräten erfolgen."

The second tier provides for additional age verification at the device level, such as procedures in which devices verify age using official documents. The third tier concerns special content that, under the Criminal Code, must not be made accessible to minors. Here it must be ensured "dass der Altersnachweis auch wirklich von der Person stammt, die das Angebot nutzen will."

For certain content such as pornography, the Council continues to consider a minimum age limit sensible, regulated through age-determination technologies. It also calls for an update of youth protection law, since the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in Media currently contains no separate rules for artificial intelligence.

Voices from Politics and the Council

Ethics Council member Judith Simon underscored the growing importance of chatbots. "Insbesondere Chatbots werden immer häufiger zur ersten Anlaufstelle für Fragen, Interessen und Bedürfnisse von Kindern und Jugendlichen." At the same time, young people must be involved: "Das fördert digitale Selbstbestimmung, klärt über Gefahren auf und schafft Vertrauen, um überhaupt Einblick in ihre digitale Lebenswelt zu gewinnen."

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, who had requested an assessment from the Ethics Council in October, sees her concern confirmed by the statement, "die besonders die politische Meinungsbildung von Kindern und Jugendlichen in der digitalen Welt gefährdet sieht." In her words: "Die Stellungnahme des Deutschen Ethikrates kommt zum richtigen Zeitpunkt."

Outlook: AI and Youth Protection Law

In parallel, a commission appointed by Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) is working on recommendations for better child and youth protection in the digital world. Prien plans to present the experts' results in the coming days. The Ethics Council also recommends that parents be given better technical tools as well as access to "seriöse[n] und unabhängige[n] Informationen über Gefahren im Netz" and advice from "Digitalpaten."

Overall, the Ethics Council considers a blanket ban counterproductive: It would "die Probleme nicht lösen, sondern selbst Probleme verursachen." Requirements for age limits and methods of their verification "sollten verbindlich gemacht werden und nicht den Anbietern überlassen werden," Simon demanded. The digital space is "täglich" recognizably "in vielerlei Hinsicht nicht so, wie wir ihn uns wünschen würden."

For individual digital offerings there should be specific regulations, the Ethics Council writes. This also includes adapting the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in Media, which comprises broadcasting time restrictions and advertising bans on alcohol for minors, to new developments such as AI and chatbots.