The Netherlands plans to present a series of proposals to the European Commission aimed at safeguarding minors on social media. These proposals include establishing a common minimum age across the European Union, implementing mechanisms to ensure compliance with privacy regulations, and requiring online platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe for children, according to reports.
Willemijn Aerdts, the Dutch Secretary of State for Digital Economy and Sovereignty, stated, “Since social media does not adequately protect children from harmful and addictive content, a minimum age is necessary.” This initiative, supported by Spain, will be sent to the European Commission following a Dutch government meeting.
The two nations are advocating for a uniform age limit to be enforced throughout the EU, ensuring that children receive the same level of protection regardless of their location, with as few national exceptions as possible.
Previously, Spain has proposed additional initiatives to protect minors online, collaborating with countries such as France, Italy, and Germany.
Aerdts emphasized the need for safety standards online, comparing it to physical products designed for children, stating, “We do not accept that products for children are unsafe in the physical world. The same rule should apply online,” although he did not specify the suggested minimum age for minors accessing social media.
The proposal includes establishing an independent European framework to assess whether social media and other digital services are sufficiently secure for minors.
Safety Standards Required from Online Platforms
Responsibility for proving compliance will fall on the online platforms, with only those that demonstrate adherence to safety standards potentially exempt from the minimum age rule.
The system might reference the Child Rights Impact Assessment developed by the Netherlands and the regulations contained within the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which lays out obligations for online platforms operating within the EU.
The Dutch government believes that European regulation would prevent scenarios where each EU member state adopts different limits for services that operate across national borders, potentially causing confusion for companies, authorities, parents, and minors.
One of the main challenges of the proposal is how to verify users’ ages without infringing on their privacy. The Netherlands and Spain seek to ensure that any mechanism is effective, compliant with personal data regulations, and that any measures taken are necessary and proportionate.
The Dutch government considers age verification to be the best option compared to alternatives, such as estimating age based on a person’s physical characteristics or accepting the user’s provided birth date as accurate.
According to the proposal, the system should limit itself to confirming that a person meets the required minimum age without processing any other personal data.
The Dutch plan also aims to promote alternative digital services in the EU that are designed to be safe for children, as the goal is not to isolate digital services, but to ensure they are safe enough for everyone to use.
