00:00What do Europeans think about banning social media for children?
00:07A new EU proposal, the Kids Act, could ban children under 13 from using social media
00:13and limit features for those aged 13 and 14. The goal is to crack down on phone addiction
00:20and doom scrolling, but also to protect children from harmful content or contacts,
00:25as well as mental and physical risks. Child rights organisations have welcomed the move,
00:31though some are warning that restricting social media access to teenagers might push them towards
00:37even more dangerous online communities. A recent Eurobarometer poll found that the overwhelming
00:43majority of Europeans welcome further social media regulation for children. The action that
00:48received the largest support, among others, is a social media ban for children under a certain age.
00:54Greece shows the strongest backing for a ban with 49%, followed by Bulgaria, Romania,
01:02Portugal, Ireland and Slovakia, all at 44%. At the same time, the lowest support for a ban emerged in
01:11a cluster of Central European countries, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Concern about child
01:18social media use runs high, with around 70% of Europeans saying they are very or somewhat worried about
01:25cyberbullying, online grooming and exposure to harmful content.
