A Cypriot lawmaker is pushing to raise the minimum age for social media use from 14 to 16 years and plans to propose adopting Greek technology to enforce the restriction, as growing numbers of countries limit minors’ access to digital platforms, citing mental health and online safety concerns.
The House Legal Affairs Committee discussed the issue on Wednesday. DISY party MP Demetris Demetriou has submitted a bill to increase the age threshold currently applied to information society services offered directly to children.
The discussion will resume in the coming period, whilst Demetriou told Philenews the aim “is not simply to change a number (age), but to adopt the tools for effective implementation”.
MP Demetriou to propose acquiring Greek age verification systems
Demetriou plans to meet Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou to propose directly implementing Greece’s tools through transfer or purchase.
According to Demetriou, Greece has already developed appropriate tools for age identification of minor users as well as parental controls for their digital activities.
The measure is being implemented or will begin to be implemented in other countries as well.
France requires parental consent for under-15s, Australia bans under-16s
Regarding the European Union, several states are examining or have already established age limits. France passed legislation requiring parental consent for minors under 15 years to use social networks. Similar discussions are underway in countries including Denmark, Slovenia and Spain, with proposals for a minimum age limit of 15 years.
Norway has also proposed raising the permitted age for social media use, incorporating the issue into public debate on protecting minors.
Australia represents one of the first countries to adopt strict legislation, prohibiting children under 16 from creating social media accounts. Platforms are required to take “reasonable steps” to verify users’ ages with the goal of implementing the measure.
Platform implementation challenges persist across countries
The regulations differ in stringency and duration, but all share the common objective of strengthening protection for minors online. The effectiveness of the measures remains subject to debate, as many platforms face difficulties in the practical implementation of age verification.
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