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Will Germany ban social media for children?

2026-02-17 07:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Are social media platforms good for the development of girls and boys? Australia says no. Since December, platforms such as TikTok, X, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch have been banned from having children and teenagers as users. The networks are no longer allowed to allow Australians under the age of 16 to open accounts on their channels.

Germany could follow suit. The two parties in the ruling coalition, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), are currently discussing the issue in detail. The CDU has put the topic on the agenda of its party congress next weekend (February 21-22, 2026) in the southwestern German metropolis of Stuttgart. The Social Democrats have already proposed a concrete model.

The SPD is calling for a complete ban on social media platforms for children under 14. Various media outlets are citing a position paper from the Social Democratic leaders of the party, parliamentary group, the European Parliament and the federal states.

Procedure with several classifications

The document proposes a procedure with several classifications: Social media platform providers must "effectively block access for children under 14," it says. Platforms should be sanctioned for violations.

The Social Democrats propose that young people aged 14 to 16 should be able to use social media, but they should be protected in the process. Social media providers should be forced to offer a "youth version" of their platforms for this age group.

Social media accounts for German citizens aged 14 to 16 must not contain any information sources or algorithm-based recommendation systems. These systems ensure that content appears on the user's smartphone without them having to actively request it.

The ability of young people to endlessly browse the constant stream of posts should also be limited. The SPD hopes this will curb the dangers of social media addiction.

And without parental consent, nothing should be possible for people under the age of 16: According to the SPD's plans, access to a social media channel should only be possible after verification by a parent or guardian. This would be done using the so-called EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), an identification procedure defined by the European Union.

More protection for adults too

Algorithmic recommendations are a key cornerstone of the business model of many social media providers. However, these recommendations should no longer be automatically addressed to adult German citizens. Algorithmic recommendations should be deactivated by default and only activated by providers with the explicit consent of users.

The SPD proposes that this should apply to young people aged 16 and over, as well as all adult German citizens. Under the proposal, this age group would also have to verify their identity with the "EUDI Wallet" before using it.

The SPD aims for a "return to the classic principle of social media." All social media users should once again be able to decide for themselves what they want to see and what they don't.

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig of the SPD told the Rheinische Post newspaper: "Children and young people have the right to grow up undisturbed: without cyberbullying, constant comparisons or beauty ideals that no one can live up to in the real world." She added that it is essential to create binding rules that effectively protect children and young people.

"We do not want a general ban, but rather a differentiated regulation based on age that enables participation, while at the same time taking into account the needs of developmental protection," Hubig explained the SPD's plans. Platforms and other providers rely on manipulative designs and gambling elements to make users "virtually addicted."

Positive signals from coalition partner

Calls for a ban on social media are also coming from the CDU, the coalition partner. Christian Democrat and Minister for Youth, Karin Prien, has expressed openness to the idea. However, she wants to wait for the results of a working group she appointed to investigate the issue. These are expected by the summer.

"Personally, I can very well imagine that we will also see bans up to a certain age," Prien said. The CDU's proposals could become more concrete after the party congress in Stuttgart.

In Europe, several countries, including Denmark, the UK, France and Spain, are looking to follow Australia's lead. The EU Commission is also considering a ban on social media for children and teenagers and plans to make a decision by the summer.

Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen stresses that no preliminary decision has yet been made. "We are currently collecting data, talking to experts and analysing studies," Virkkunen told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday (13.02.2026). She supports a "pan-European solution". /DW