Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday approved policy guidelines to better protect children and young people online, including a national ban on social networks for those under 13 until European rules take effect.
The planned measures focus on shielding children from online dangers, building their skills to use digital tools competently and supporting their participation in the digital world. They follow the final report of an independent expert commission that presented 56 recommendations last month.
"The analysis is over, now it is about implementation: With the new framework, we as the federal government create the basis so that children and young people can also grow up safely and self-determined in the digital world," Education and Family Affairs Minister Karin Prien said in a statement.
"Protection, empowerment and participation-that is our mandate. The internet has long been everyday life especially for young people-that is why we do not want to lock them out of the digital world, but to make them strong and weatherproof," she added.
Under the new rules, children under 13 would generally be barred from social networks such as TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram. Only platforms that are clearly designed for children would be permitted. For teens between 13 and 18, the rules would set different limits depending on age. The government also plans reliable age verification from 2027 via the German implementation of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, called "d-you."
Germany will also press platforms to stop addictive designs by default. In talks on the EU Kids Act, Berlin wants algorithmic recommendation systems switched off automatically and measures to prevent features that encourage endless scrolling or compulsive use.
