Estonia is the rare EU country opposing bans on children's social media use

"Estonia's ministers argue that age-based bans are unenforceable, stating that children will find ways around them, and advocate for enforcing GDPR against the platforms themselves."

"Belgium's refusal to sign the Jutland Declaration was due to a veto by Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter, who described the age verification requirements as disproportionate."

"The Jutland Declaration is a non-binding political commitment to introduce privacy-preserving age verification on social media platforms and protect minors from addictive design features."

"Political momentum for social media age restrictions is considerable, with several countries implementing bans and restrictions on children's access to social media in the coming years."

Estonia and Belgium are the only EU member states that declined the Jutland Declaration, which aims to restrict children's access to social media. Estonia argues that age-based bans are unenforceable and advocates for enforcing GDPR against platforms and investing in digital literacy. Belgium's refusal stems from concerns over disproportionate age verification requirements. The declaration, signed by 25 EU countries, seeks to introduce privacy-preserving age verification and protect minors from harmful online features, reflecting significant political momentum for social media age restrictions across Europe.

Read at TNW | Eu