Germany's Family Minister Prien pushes 13‑year age limit for social‑media use

Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) is advocating a statutory minimum age of 13 for independent use of social‑media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. The proposal, presented by an independent expert commission on child and youth digital protection, offers two options: a fixed 13‑year age limit with graduated safeguards up to age 18, or a risk‑based approach that applies restrictions to specific services or functions. The commission calls for robust age‑verification mechanisms, suggesting tools like the EU‑wide EUDI‑Wallet, and stresses that platforms, not parents or schools, should bear primary responsibility.

Prien says the measure will be pursued at the European level but will be prepared nationally if EU progress stalls. Other politicians, including Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer and CDU/CSU members Anja Weisgerber and Anne König, echo the need for differentiated age thresholds and stronger platform liability. The SPD faction remains in favour of a ban for users under 14, while the Union opposes a change to the civil code that would embed parental media‑education duties.

An Australian study cited by several articles shows that the country’s 2025‑wide ban for under‑16s had little effect on teen usage, underscoring concerns that verification alone may be insufficient. Experts argue that without practical enforcement, age limits risk becoming symbolic.