Most in Germany want Australia-style social media ban: poll

A large majority of German citizens are in favor of banning social media use for under-16s, as is soon to happen in Australia under a new law, a survey published on Saturday has shown.

The support for the ban reflects the view of most of the some 2,000 people surveyed that social media is likely or certain to have a harmful impact on children and adolescents.

What did the survey show?

According to the YouGov poll, seen by the dpa news agency, some 77% of respondents said they would either "fully" or "somewhat" support similar legislation in Germany.

Altogether 13% of those surveyed said they would either "fully" or "somewhat" oppose a ban, with the remaining respondents saying they didn't know.

An even higher percentage — 82% — were "absolutely certain" or "somewhat certain" that social media use is in some way bad for children and teenagers.

Some of those regarded the content on social media platforms as responsible for the harmful effect and others were more concerned that social media can be addictive. Some 52% believe that both factors play an equal role, according to the survey.

However, 9% were either sure or rather sure that social media were in no way detrimental to the well-being of young people.

What law has been passed in Australia?

The law in Australia, which was passed on Friday with the support of all major parties, will make social media platforms liable for fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (€30.5 million, $32 million) if they allow children younger than 16 to hold accounts.

Tech companies such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram will be responsible for ensuring verification, and there will be no penalties for parents or users.

However, the legislation is short on details about possible methods for enforcing the ban, which is to go into force in a year.

Before then, various methods to enforce the measure will be trialed.

Some companies that have platforms promoting education, messaging, gaming and mental health will be exempted under the law.

Critics of the law have expressed concerns that the ban will isolate teenagers from established online social networks and cause them to seek out online spaces that are unregulated and possibly more detrimental to their welfare.

tj/wmr (dpa)

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