Estonia has publicly disagreed with the European Union, opposing the idea of restricting or banning children from using social media. It argues that the responsibility should not be placed on children but rather platforms should be compelled to modify their systems to ensure safety for young users.
AFP reported that Estonia, considered one of Europe's leaders in digital technology, has called on the European Union (EU) to reconsider its approach to regulating children's social media use, suggesting that the focus should be on managing platforms rather than banning children's access to various applications.
This statement came ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement on guidelines to limit children's social media use scheduled for 16 Sep 2023 GMT+7, with discussions ongoing about setting a minimum age of either 13 or 15 years.
Estonia says platforms must change, not ban children.
Lisa-Lai Pakosta, Estonia's Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, said children are already part of the information society, so social media platforms are the ones that need to adapt.
She stated that platform design should consider the rights and best interests of children and should make the online environment safer for all users.
Pakosta proposed that the EU use the Digital Services Act (DSA), a key European law governing digital services, as a tool to pressure technology companies to improve their platforms.
Specifically, recommendations on protecting children online should be elevated from mere guidelines to legally binding requirements.
The EU is moving forward with investigations into Meta and TikTok.
The EU has been using the DSA to scrutinize major platforms such as Facebook and Instagram owned by Meta, as well as TikTok, particularly over system designs that may encourage addictive user behavior.
Estonia's approach differs from proposals currently discussed at the EU level, which focus on setting minimum age limits for social media use.
Pakosta believes that instead of banning children from platforms, technology companies should be held more accountable and design systems with child safety as a priority from the outset.
Estonia's stance is relatively isolated within the EU, as it opposes restricting children's access to social media, while many European countries are increasing pressure on tech companies amid concerns about the impact of social media on children and youth.
Source:channelnewsasia
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