Hungarian government proposes child protection legislative package

The Hungarian government has submitted a legislative package to the Parliament aimed at enhancing child protection in both traditional and digital environments. The proposal involves amending six different laws, including those governing child protection and guardianship, economic advertising, criminal records, media services and mass communication, national public education, and electoral procedures.

The legislation is designed to be technology-neutral, addressing risks emerging in the 21st-century digital landscape to protect the physical, intellectual, emotional, and moral development of children. Key measures include stricter age-rating standards for media content and a prohibition on making accessible or promoting pornographic material, content unsuitable for a child's developmental level, or content that depicts sexuality for its own sake.

Furthermore, the ban extends to content that promotes or encourages sexual violence, exploitation, or manipulation. The package also seeks to accelerate legal and administrative procedures regarding children remaining in hospitals.