Austria proposes social media ban for children under 14 years old

The Austrian government is advancing plans to prohibit children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms, joining a growing international trend of stricter digital regulation for minors. State Secretary for Digital Affairs Alexander Proll announced the initiative, stating the goal is to introduce the ban at the beginning of the upcoming school year.

Seeking a Technical Model for Enforcement

Proll told public broadcaster ORF that experts are currently examining practical, technical solutions to enforce the proposed ban effectively. The Australian model of age verification is being considered as a potential blueprint. This system requires users to provide official identification, with platforms also employing facial and voice recognition technology and behavioral analysis to confirm age. However, this approach has sparked debate within Austria's ruling coalition over data privacy and methodology.

Political Consensus and Dissent on Implementation

While the principle of a ban enjoys support from the coalition partners—the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS party—disagreements exist on how to execute it. NEOS media spokesperson Henrike Brandstotter expressed reservations about adopting Australia's data-intensive model, citing privacy concerns. Instead, she suggested waiting for Austria's own national "eID" digital identification system, slated for operation by 2027. The proposed age limit of 14 aligns with the age of legal capacity in Austria and falls within the 13-to-16-year range permitted by the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for consent to online data processing. Opposition parties have mixed reactions: the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) criticizes the plan as a restriction on freedom, while the Greens advocate for strict platform penalties.

A Broader European Movement for Digital Protection

Austria's move is part of a wider European push to establish clearer safeguards for children online. The SPÖ has called for a national ban if a continent-wide solution is not agreed upon by the end of 2025. At the EU level, the European Parliament has previously advocated for a minimum age of 13 for social media and AI chatbot access and is urging the European Commission to establish a binding age limit by the end of 2026. This trend is also visible in neighboring France, where the National Assembly recently approved a bill to ban social media for children under 15, aiming for full implementation by 2027.