The Austrian government has announced plans to introduce a mandatory ban on social media use for children under 14 years old. Conservative junior minister for digitisation Alexander Proll confirmed the decision at a joint press conference on Friday, stating that draft legislation would be prepared by June, with cabinet members from other governing parties in attendance.

Proll and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democrats warned of the negative effects of social media on children and adolescents, including addiction and mental health issues. Babler said, "We will no longer stand by and watch while these platforms make our children addicted and often also sick... The risks associated with this use were ignored for long enough, and now it is time to act."

The government will not list individual platforms subject to the ban but will decide based on how addictive their algorithms are and whether they include content such as "sexualised violence." This announcement comes days after a Los Angeles jury found Alphabet's Google and Meta liable for $6 million in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, highlighting growing global concerns over platform design.

Austria's move is part of a broader trend in Europe. France voted in January to ban social media for children under 15, while the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, and Greece are also studying similar bans. The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for social media access, although imposing age limits remains up to member states, reflecting ongoing debates over digital regulation and child protection.

Source: www.aljazeera.com