European Union Memberstates are set to agree on their own age limits for social media use after they failed to agree on a uniform policy.
The proposal to ban Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media services from handling personal data belonging to those under the age of 16, unless their parents had given consent, would have effectively prevented the companies from offering their services to young people.
Obviously, technology firms petitioned against the idea.
The European Commission and European Parliament had originally proposed that there should be a standard age of consent set at 13 years, which would have brought the EU in line with America. At the moment, the majority of Europe already follow this rule, although Spanish law stops companies processing data belonging to the under-14s. As a result, Facebook and other social media companies operate a higher age limit in the country.
However, it emerged late last week that a last minute amendment to new data protection regulations could raise the said age limit to the age of 16.
The new draft law, allowing countries to set their own social media age limit, is set to be confirmed by a vote in the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee and then by a full parliament vote next year.
Our question is, should a new law be made for those who lie about their age on social media? Such as young children who desperately want to be online?
Please comment with your views!
Photo by: Francisco Osorio.