Austria Approves Ban on Social‑Media Access for Under‑14s
The Austrian government has approved a law that will prohibit children under 14 from using major social‑media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. The draft, discussed at the summer ministerial council in Salzburg (Wals‑Siezenheim), has been sent for expert review and for notification to the EU Commission. If the notification proceeds, the rule could take effect on 1 January.
The legislation requires users to prove their age through a double‑blind “Zero‑Knowledge‑Proof” verification system, with the state‑run ID‑Austria service acting as the gatekeeper. Platforms that fail to comply may face fines of up to six percent of their global annual turnover. WhatsApp and similar messaging services are excluded, while the law allows platforms to offer child‑friendly “light” versions.
Government officials—including State Secretary Alexander Pröll, Chancellor Christian Stocker and Vice‑Chancellor Andreas Babler—presented the measure as a necessary step to protect children from manipulative algorithms and addictive design features. The Federal Youth Representation (BJV) welcomed the ban but called for a parallel expansion of media‑education curricula starting from the fifth school grade.
Entities: Alexander Pröll · Andreas Babler · Austrian government · Christian Stocker · TikTok
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The draft was sent for expert review and EU‑Commission notification after the summer ministerial council in Salzburg. (Government briefing)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Austria approved a law banning social‑media access for children under 14. (Multiple government statements)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Federal Youth Representation (BJV) supports the ban but urges expanded media‑education starting from the fifth school grade. (BJV statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Age verification will use a double‑blind ‘Zero‑Knowledge‑Proof’ system via ID‑Austria. (Legislative details)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Non‑compliant platforms could be fined up to six percent of their worldwide annual revenue. (Government briefing)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Platforms may offer child‑friendly “light” versions to comply. (Legislative details)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The law targets TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat; WhatsApp is excluded. (Government briefing)