Estonian experts call for improving social media for children — ERR News
In Estonia, media studies specialists criticized the restrictions on children’s access to social media proposed by the European Commission. In their view, rather than imposing bans themselves, the design and operating rules of platforms should be changed to make them safer for minors.
The EU Kids Act package includes proposals to ban children under the age of 13 from using social media and introduce parental controls for the accounts of users aged 13 to 15. These proposals still need to be discussed by EU member states and the European Parliament.
As ERR News reports, Indrek Ibrus, a professor of media studies at Tallinn University, believes that age restrictions on access to information conflict with children’s rights to self-expression and free access to information, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Enforcement of existing rules
Ibrus said that the European Commission is proposing restrictions for children instead of consistently regulating platforms. In his view, the Digital Services Act already provides a regulatory framework that needs to be enforced.
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Andra Siibak, a professor of media studies at the University of Tartu, also stressed that bans alone are insufficient. She positively assessed the requirement for online services to strengthen the protection of children’s rights, well-being and privacy, but noted that similar requirements are already contained in the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act. According to her, the European Union must ensure that platforms actually implement these rules.
Risks of age verification
Experts identified reliable verification of users’ ages without large-scale intrusion into privacy as one of the main issues. Ibrus warned that identification could create privacy risks and give platforms more opportunities to profile users.
Katrin Tiidenberg, a professor at Tallinn University, drew attention to Australia’s experience, where, according to her, the ban did not prevent children under 16 from remaining online, but made it more difficult to understand which platforms they use. Siibak added that young people may circumvent age barriers, including by using their parents’ documents.
Tiidenberg proposes putting pressure on platforms to introduce more responsible design: limiting algorithms that create addiction, allowing users to choose a chronological feed, and creating separate accounts for children and teenagers with automatic restrictions on harmful content. The experts also emphasized the importance of developing media literacy and critical thinking, while noting that digital skills alone are insufficient in the presence of manipulative interfaces.
