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Kann ein Verbot sozialer Medien Kinder vor Gewalt und Mobbing im Internet schützen?
In dieser Folge von The Ring führen die Europaabgeordneten Axel Voss (EVP) und Christel Schaldemose (Sozialdemokraten) eine intensive Debatte über die Frage, ob ein Verbot sozialer Medien für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren eine gute Sache ist oder nicht.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/02/06/kann-ein-verbot-sozialer-medien-kinder-vor-gewalt-und-mobbing-im-internet-schutzen
Abonnieren Sie! Euronews gibt es in 12 Sprachen.
In dieser Folge von The Ring führen die Europaabgeordneten Axel Voss (EVP) und Christel Schaldemose (Sozialdemokraten) eine intensive Debatte über die Frage, ob ein Verbot sozialer Medien für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren eine gute Sache ist oder nicht.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/02/06/kann-ein-verbot-sozialer-medien-kinder-vor-gewalt-und-mobbing-im-internet-schutzen
Abonnieren Sie! Euronews gibt es in 12 Sprachen.
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NewsTranskript
00:00Hello there and welcome to The Ring, Uri News' debate show from the European Parliament here
00:13in Brussels, where elected members of the European Parliament go head to head on the
00:19big issues on their desks. This week, should all EU countries ban social media for under
00:25six scenes? Is social media rewiring children's brains and are Spain, France and Denmark leading the way?
00:33Luis Albertus sets the scene.
00:39As children in Europe are growing up in an increasingly digital world, the EU faces a fundamental question.
00:45How should it protect children online?
00:48The debate isn't just about screen time, it's about deciding how far the EU laws should go
00:55and what kind of digital Europe we're building for our children.
01:00Some call for EU-wide rules, age limits, platform accountability and stricture safeguards to protect children from harmful content
01:08and addictive design such as infinite scrolling.
01:11Others warn that heavy-handed regulation risks overreach, infringes on national sovereignty
01:18and could limit children's digital rights and freedoms.
01:23Can Brussels set standards that both protect and empower Europe's children?
01:27Will political divisions prevent the EU from taking decisive action?
01:30The answer may shape the digital lives of a generation that has never lived offline.
01:35The questions that we have for our contenders, let's meet them.
01:44Grace Rochaldemose, a Danish MEP and a member of the Socialists and Democrats group.
01:50She's a Vice President of the European Parliament and a long-standing member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
01:57Before entering European politics, she was the Secretary General of the Danish Adult Education Council.
02:02She's best known as the lead rapporteur for the EU's Digital Services Act, which aims to make online platforms more accountable for illegal and harmful content.
02:12What is illegal offline must also be illegal online, she said.
02:17Axel Voss, a German MEP and a member of the European People's Party.
02:21He is a long-standing member of the Committee on Legal Affairs.
02:24Before entering the European Parliament, he worked as a lawyer and legal advisor.
02:28He's best known as the Parliament's lead rapporteur on the EU Copyright Directive, including the rules on online platforms' responsibility for copyrighted content.
02:38We need to stand up against fake news, and we cannot accept for social media platforms to become a legal vacuum, he said.
02:44Christel Shaldemoza and Axel Voss, welcome to The Ring.
02:51The aim here is to give our viewers a real taste of European Parliament debates and voting sessions, so I hope you feel right at home.
02:59Christel, let's start with you.
03:00Because 483 MEPs voted in favour of more ambitious EU action to protect minors online, including an EU-wide minimum age of 16 for accessing social media.
03:13You were one of them. Give us your reasons why.
03:14I would prefer that it was not necessary, but the thing is that the platforms, the social media we know today, they are honestly not fit for children and young people.
03:25They are faced with murder, suicide, violence, they are being bullied, and if that's not the case, then more than half of the content is also commercialized.
03:35So I don't think that that environment is fit for our children, and since the platforms, they do not do enough themselves to protect our kids against it.
03:45I think that the next step must be to make a ban so that we can make sure that our kids are protected.
03:52I prefer them to be digital, our kids, because that's the future, but we need to protect our kids better.
03:57So you support a blanket ban. Axel Voss, 92 MEPs voted against this non-binding report, and 86 abstained.
04:05Now, you voted in favour of it, but you're against this idea of a ban on social media for the under-16s.
04:11Give us your reasons why.
04:13Yes, so, exclusion does not mean really protection, and this is something where I would say we need to go beyond this first step, what we have agreed on.
04:24And still, minors can circumvent the ban easily and just taking the wrong age.
04:32We should more focus on the content and the platform instead of the age of the...
04:39Is that not a valid point, Crystal? Because, of course, you know, we have bans when it comes to smoking and accessing alcohol.
04:46You could be asked for your ID, but you know, minors always get away around that.
04:48Yeah, but not all of them. And we are signalizing to the kids and young people what we think is acceptable and what is not.
04:56But I also think that what we do here, if we could make a pan-European ban on entering social media before the age of 16, is also for the platforms.
05:06Because they could have prevented kids from meeting this content, but they are not doing enough.
05:11And since they are not doing enough, we need to do something.
05:14So, yes, you can always bypass, but not for the big numbers.
05:19And we are sending a signal to the young people and kids that we don't think that what is online and what is on there is good.
05:25And can I add, because, Axel, I think that you're right when it comes to a lot of content. It would be better.
05:32But on the other hand, then we are also faced with discussions about are we compromising freedom of speech if we as politicians say what we allow and what we are not allowed to be online.
05:43So I think the best way, the easiest way to protect is to make a full blown ban.
05:50Crystal has a point there. The big companies, the big tech companies are not listening or taking Brussels and the regulators seriously.
05:57No, that's why we should focus on this platform and saying what is correct and what is not correct.
06:02So and also focusing on the content, we need to give them a guideline, what is right and what is wrong.
06:11And then we might move forward. And of course, we should have in focus these platforms in finding them or even going beyond this.
06:22But when you give guidelines to the likes of Elon Musk, the billionaire, he sends a tweet saying the EU must be abolished.
06:28Yeah, then I'm sorry, you should leave the market.
06:31Elon Musk should leave the market? Yes.
06:34Do you agree with that? And how do you push a billionaire out of the market and the Tesla owner?
06:39If the platform state don't want to comply with the rules we have in the EU, they are free to skip the European market.
06:45We have the rules we have in the EU and if they don't want to comply, it's their case.
06:49But I still believe that our kids are faced with a lot of problematic content.
06:54And not just that, also the design of the platforms are not good for kids.
07:01They spend too much time there. We know that women, girls around 14, the age of 14, they spend more than three hours.
07:08But in average, even five, six hours on a daily basis on these platforms where they are formed.
07:15Their views on the world is put in there, not from parents, not from schools, not from civil society, but from a business, a commercial business.
07:24And I also think that we need to consider that as well.
07:27And the data backs up what you're saying, Crystal.
07:29Eight in ten teens are checking their devices hourly.
07:32And according to a Eurobarometer, nine in ten Europeans say action to protect children is a matter of urgency.
07:39And it's easier to introduce a ban than it is to crack down on the content.
07:42Yeah, of course, the addiction is very obvious. And that's why we should focus on the content at first, but also on the algorithms.
07:54So we should also control or have a kind of a specific approach on these algorithms who are using these addiction, who are using these dark patterns.
08:05That's why I think a ban is better right now. In principle, I think your idea is probably the best in principle, but in reality, it's so difficult to do.
08:17Look at the European Parliament right now. We would not even be able to agree on what is good content and what is bad content.
08:24So we would end up doing nothing to protect our kids because the platforms Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and all the others who owns these platforms,
08:31they don't want to protect our kids because if they want to do it, they had already done it.
08:36And you don't have the luxury of time here in the Parliament either to take years to decide.
08:40No, but if you're looking to the whole world and to the Internet Governance Forum, the whole world is looking for measures in protecting the younger generations for these mental health.
08:54Also another problem, democratic problem. But we need to do something and we can also go together with other states in the world so that we have a broader negotiation part against all these.
09:10And you mentioned other states in the world. We understand that Ursula von der Leyen is planning a trip to Australia very soon.
09:14That's, of course, on trade, but it's likely social media and their ban will also come up.
09:19And that is very interesting because I'm following that debate as well. And they have started now and we have already seen that they have closed accounts for millions of kids in Australia.
09:29And I think we have to look and see how they fix, you know, the bypass problem.
09:33But also, does this really mean a better mental health? Does it really mean that we protect our kids?
09:39And if that's the case, I think really we should learn. So I'm curious about it. I'm going to follow it.
09:44And I'm very hopeful that Ursula von der Leyen also brings back good ideas from Australia.
09:49It seems to be working, even though I have been reading some parents are helping their children circumvent the rules.
09:55Yeah, but you can see already in Australia that they are circumvented. So the protection is not at all in this generation.
10:06So that's why we need to go beyond these. And that's why I also would say we need to think how we can support or even improve the DSA, the Digital Services Act,
10:20because this is only focusing on illegal content and not harmful content. And that's why we need to go beyond this anyway.
10:30Well, that's not completely correct, because we are also saying that if there is a systemic risk for things like disinformation, misinformation, but also hate speech,
10:40then the platforms need to risk mitigate. So they need to do something not just for minors.
10:44But we are also in the DSA, the Digital Services Act. We have an article, Article 28, and I will not be technical, but on that we have guidelines.
10:52It's about how we can protect kids. And the wording is quite clear. We need to have a very high level of protection.
10:58And that does not exist today. And since the platforms have done nothing at all to protect our kids, I think to start with, maybe not in five years, maybe not in 10 years, but here and now we need to send a very crystal clear signal.
11:12Our kids, they are not protected, and therefore a ban is a way forward, even though we know that a percentage will probably bypass.
11:19Mm-hmm. Are you still not convinced?
11:22No, not really. It's a first step. It's a soft approach. But if we would like to achieve the goal for the mental health of our next generation, then we need to go beyond and we need to be more stricter.
11:35But let me stop you there as we are just getting warmed up.
11:43So now it's time for you both to direct each other, just like you do in the hemicycle. So Crystal, ladies first.
11:50Yeah, but Mr. Foss, I know that you've been working in this area for very, very long on digital questions.
11:56And in many ways, I don't think we disagree. However, you don't want to have this ban. But yet you have suggested that we should have age verification so that we need to verify which age people have before they enter the social media.
12:12Why should that matter if you don't want to have an age limit for entering social media? So why do you want to have age verification without having an age limit?
12:21Yeah. So age verification might only be one step. But of course, we need also the competence of kids to get a feeling for algorithms for digital for the digital world.
12:36And so this is not the best thing to move forward. So the balance and even better focusing on the content because this is affecting the content is also affecting younger generations beyond 16 or whatever.
12:55So this is not really something where we can influence a lot content wise. We should more concentrate and say what should be in and what should be out.
13:08But the thing is that discussing about the content does in the present climate we have in Brussels and in the EU right now mean that would mean that we do nothing because we cannot agree about what is good content and what is bad content.
13:21And that's why I'm in favor of the ban because we will not be able to maybe you and I could agree but I'm not sure that we could agree with the far right or the far left.
13:30So there I think we need we need to have something. So why should we do a reaction to that and then you can pose your first question.
13:36Yes. So then you have to make very sure that the circumventing is not happening. And here we need probably to do a kind of a more intensive identification tool.
13:50And this again gives clear names or clear birthdays and so on. This is something what we need then to do in addition to something like this.
14:04I have to follow up because I understand bypass or circumvening thing. But we also have bans, age limits on alcohol. And we also know that young people get access to alcohol.
14:15Shouldn't we then not have a ban? Shouldn't we have an age limit on that? Because also there we see that they are circumvening the rules.
14:22Yeah. But there is no digital alcohol in a way or digital alcohol is more the addictive design for algorithms. And this is something what we need to tackle.
14:35And the analog addictive this is a different story because online everything is possible.
14:45But Mr. Voss it is time for you to pose your first question.
14:47Yeah. I would like to return this question. So in the report you especially want to ban the social media use. But how we then tackle the problem of the same content appearing somewhere else.
15:02And this is something where I would say that's why it is not helpful. Banning of kids instead of banning of content.
15:11But if you talk about what people, young people, kids are watching, for instance, on television, if they still watch old fashioned television, very often you sit next to your parents and have an ability to discuss with them.
15:25What is it you're seeing? What does that mean? Is that the real world? How does it work when you're on social media?
15:31You are completely on your own and no one is really helping you or following you. And that's why it's so much more important that we do this to protect kids because in the offline, in the analog world, you are better protected because you have people around you.
15:44But online kids are more intelligent than their parents. So they know how to come to what they have in mind instead of the parents.
15:55Would you agree with that? But does that mean with your point of view here, Mr. Voss, that we should we shouldn't care because we cannot do anything anyway.
16:02And there are more. Of course, kids understand quite a lot about how technical things works online, but we don't just give up and say that the Internet should be a forum where nothing is banned, where not where everything is legal, even a child pornography, etc.
16:19You know, I think that what is illegal offline should also be illegal online. But we shouldn't have in mind that the problem is solved with this.
16:27No, we should have another approach on it. So I don't think that everything is solved, but I think we can take a huge step in the direction of protecting our kids.
16:37So that's the view from our MEPs. We'd also love to hear your view. You always can write to us here at the ring at your news dot com. But it is now time to bring in a new voice.
16:46I would like to bring in the voice of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who said this week that Spain would ban social media for under 16s and legislation that could be introduced as soon as next week.
17:02Speaking at the World Government Summit this week in Dubai, Pedro Sánchez said social media has become a failed state where laws are ignored and crimes are tolerated.
17:12We will protect them from the digital wild west. We will change the law to hold executives accountable for illegal and hateful content.
17:20So, Axel, what did you think of this announcement that created a bit of a storm in Dubai and Qatar as well, where the tech summit was taking place?
17:29So I'm more than less on that line. I would agree. That's why I would suggest we need to think about content.
17:39I know it's extremely difficult what content is OK and what not. But on use cases, we can draw this line.
17:51But the momentum is there. We saw this announcement from Spain. France has introduced or is planning on introducing a ban for under 15s.
17:57Greece, Denmark, Ireland is also contemplating.
18:00That's true. Right now in the whole of EU, we're discussing this and we're discussing it for good reasons, because we see that our kids are faced with things online that they shouldn't be able to see.
18:11And we have tried other ways and it doesn't work. So that's why a lot of governments think that this could be the next step.
18:17And I also think that if if we don't do it at EU level, but allow individual member states, then there's also a risk that we fragment.
18:24Indeed, but we have a patchwork of different laws and then, you know, it could face a lot of legal battles. Is it not better just to have a blanket EU ban?
18:32And that's why we in the European Parliament and a big majority did, in fact, suggest an EU ban, a pan-European ban.
18:40It's easier and it would cover and protect all our kids in the EU, even though even though we know that, of course, some of them will bypass the ban.
18:48But we still believe that that's the best and easiest way here now to protect them.
18:53And to go back to Elon Musk, his ears might be burning because we mentioned him already.
18:57He called Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, a traitor and a tyrant also for these comments and a fascist.
19:05No, no. So we in Europe would like to link values with technology. And that's why we can't really allow every content on platforms at all.
19:20But if these tech billionaires that run these websites, if they don't have values like we do, what do you do then?
19:25If you are not interested in align with our values and what we have written in the DSA and DMA and so on, please leave the market.
19:34Well, of course, there's also that investigation underway by the Commission when it comes to Grok.
19:38That's the XAI chat box. We're waiting to hear more from Elon Musk and from X on that.
19:44But it is time now to take a short break here on The Ring. Stay with us.
19:48We'll be back very, very soon with some more political punch from the European Parliament.
19:52Welcome back to The Ring, Eurie News' weekly show. I'm here in the Parliament joined by MEPs Axel Voss and Crystal Schaldemose.
20:08And the idea here is to bring Parliament debates to your very sofa. This week, our guest MEPs are sharing their views on social media bans for under-16s.
20:18But we also love hearing from you. So we asked Eurie News' Madrid office to talk to locals and ask them if a social media ban is a good idea. Take a look.
20:27Today, everyone, the people, what they see, what they criticize or what they say. And sometimes it can affect a little bit,
20:36both the autoestimate and the thought of the minor, as they still have developed that thought of the mature.
20:44I think they are not trained and I think it's a good measure.
20:49Well, I think that maybe it was a bit strong. Maybe it would be good to have some restrictions for the minor,
20:56but prohibiting them as such is a bit strong.
20:59The bad thing is that a lot of people create false profiles, and they just use them to give their own hate speech without their real identity.
21:07I think Twitter is the most hate and the most bad things can be said to them.
21:13There are just a few opinions from the streets of Madrid. Your reaction to that, Crystal?
21:17Clever people in Madrid, I have to say, and I think they're right in their concerns.
21:21You know, it's not an easy task to take another step in order to protect our kids.
21:27However, I think when you balance everything up, a ban right now for young people and kids under the age of 16
21:37is, in my opinion, the best way to protect them against what we just heard here.
21:40But a ban, of course, is a negative word for young people. Could we see a backlash from young people?
21:47I'm not sure. So, at first, the younger or the young people know what they are talking about.
21:54And that's why a ban probably wouldn't always fit the situation.
21:58And that's why probably they would, if they would know, to do more about algorithms or also the content.
22:06And what is the debate in Germany, the public debate on this?
22:09Yeah, of course, the last time it was has been the exploitation of sexual exploitation of children on X.
22:19And so this is something. But here, I would say it's fitting the same opinions here for Germany.
22:27And we heard there about the fear about X and the hate speech.
22:30Yeah. But the thing we know from surveys in Denmark that around 94% of kids under the age of 13 is on social media.
22:39So when so when we talk about people knowing the digital world and understanding what they're seeing, I simply don't agree on that.
22:46I mean, if you're 15, you might better understand and, you know, the techniques and you can you can maybe also know how to approach this and talk to an adult.
22:55But kids, real kids. And that's why, I mean, we need also to understand the depth of this issue.
23:01It is really serious. And that's the thing, Axel Voss, how do you explain or educate kids who've never lived in a world without digital devices?
23:10This is really tricky. But all the younger ones who are growing up with these, they have a kind of a natural feeling instead of having a real social life,
23:24they have this social life online and probably there is a relief if you are just taking the mobile for one hour, two hours away and then they feel more free.
23:38But to come to this point, this is very hard.
23:41We know also in Denmark we have seen some schools making some tests about how it works when they are taking the phone away from the kids during school day.
23:52And in the beginning, people react very, very angry. They are angry because they are addicted.
23:57They act like an addicted person. But after 14 days, the majority of them says, well, this is in fact wonderful.
24:04We are now looking at each other. We are talking to each other. We are playing.
24:07So I also think that we are in fact doing something good for the kids, even though they might not understand it to begin with.
24:14If we make them less dependent and make sure that they spend less hours online and make sure that for a part of the content that it's not kept away from them.
24:24And that means they are not being photographed either in the school yard, which is something that a lot of people do not like.
24:29Would you be in favour of this, taking mobile phones from school kids during the school day?
24:33Yes, during the school hours.
24:35This ban you are in favour of?
24:36Yes, yes, yes, yes. So, but again, this is not age verification.
24:42This is in general something what I would say this is a good thing, especially also for the concentration in the school.
24:51Well, now it is time to move on to our fifth and final round. Are you ready?
25:00So now it is time for something a little bit different.
25:03I'm going to ask our MEPs a set of questions and you're only allowed answer with yes or no.
25:09Is that doable?
25:10Oh, for a politician?
25:12It's difficult because we will try to manage.
25:14Wonderful. Are you a social media user, yes or no?
25:17Yes.
25:18Yes.
25:19Are you addicted to social media, Axel Voss, yes or no?
25:23Totally not.
25:24No, not at all.
25:26Is social media harmful to children under 16, Axel Voss, yes or no?
25:30Yes.
25:31Yes.
25:32Is social media harmful not just to teens, but to society in general, Mr. Voss?
25:37Yes.
25:38Also here I have to agree, yes.
25:41Are parents responsible for their children's social media usage, Mr. Voss?
25:46I would say yes.
25:47Yes, to a very large extent, but not completely.
25:51And is Big Tech responsible for the mental health crisis we're experiencing today?
25:55Exactly all.
25:56So they have a huge responsibility for what the content, which users are seeing which content.
26:02Yes.
26:03Are they aware of this responsibility?
26:05I don't think so.
26:06They are very well aware, but they earn a lot of money and that's why they do it.
26:10And should governments control kids' social media use, yes or no?
26:14No, not really.
26:16So, no.
26:17This is precisely where you both disagree.
26:19Yes, when it comes to when they are allowed to enter social media.
26:23Are you on Twitter?
26:24I'm on X, yes.
26:26And I have to say that I'm addicted to using my phone, but not necessarily social media.
26:32Are you on TikTok?
26:33No, but X, Insta and Facebook.
26:37Should we ban social media usage from the European Parliament?
26:41No.
26:42No.
26:43And something general.
26:44Is the future of the European Union bright for our young people watching today?
26:49I hope brighter, but it is difficult times, but we can help them have a brighter future
26:54if we help them stay away from social media.
26:57Yes.
26:58The future is bright.
26:59Axel Voss and Crystal Shalda Moise, thank you so much for being with us here.
27:03Did anything change your mind from what you heard today?
27:06No, not really.
27:08I agree on a fundamental level, but we need to do more.
27:13Well, I still believe that a ban is here and now the best and easiest quick fix.
27:17Thank you so much for joining us today on The Ring and being our guest and sharing your insights with us.
27:22And thank you so much for tuning in.
27:24As I said earlier, the ring at Euronews.com.
27:27That is our email address.
27:28But for now, thank you so much for tuning in.
27:30Take care and see you very soon here on Euronews.
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