Czech prime minister supports social media ban for under-15s
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Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis did not say what specific steps his government plans to take or when.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PRAGUE – Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he supports banning social media use for children under the age of 15, citing France as an example of a country that has recently moved to impose limits on young users.
“The experts I know say that it is terribly harmful to children. Terribly harmful,” Mr Babis said in a video message posted on social media platform X on Feb 8. “And we must protect our children.”
He did not say what specific steps his government plans to take or when.
If the Czech Republic moves forward, it would join a growing group of European countries that are pushing for restrictions on social media use by minors. Such a step would limit or cut off millions of young users from platforms regulators describe as harmful and addictive – as well as dent the advertising revenue they generate.
Australia was the first country to implement such a policy,
In Europe, Spain became the latest country to propose a ban on such services, with the country’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticising the conduct of social media companies in a speech.
At least 10 other countries – France, Britain, Portugal, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Poland, Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands – as well as the EU are considering some kind of restrictions. BLOOMBERG
