Italy and Germany grapple with social‑media age limits for minors

Italy’s government has slowed a proposed ban on social‑media use for people under 16, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warning that a blanket prohibition would be easy to evade and would not solve the underlying problem. The Italian approach calls for a combination of clearer age‑verification tools, platform liability, and media‑literacy education rather than outright bans.

In Germany, an expert commission handed the federal government a set of 56 proposals aimed at protecting children online. The recommendations favour a legal minimum age of 13 for social‑media access, with graduated safeguards up to age 18, and call for stronger age‑verification systems, higher platform responsibility, and enhanced media‑competence education in schools. Federal Family Minister Karin Prien endorsed the 13‑year threshold, while other politicians argue for variable age limits depending on platform risk.

Both countries are debating how to balance protection of minors with practical enforcement, reflecting a broader European debate on regulating digital platforms for younger users.