WASHINGTON—In response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging the European Commission to ban social media for children under 15 across the EU, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, issued the following statement from Senior Policy Manager Ash Johnson:
Sweeping age bans unnecessarily restrict young people’s access to information, education, expression, and social connection while creating significant privacy risks for users of all ages—which was exactly why France’s Constitutional Council rejected its proposed national approach. An EU-wide social media ban would carry the same risks, but on a much wider scale.
Even as the European Commission works to develop privacy-preserving age assurance, policymakers should be cautious about creating a system in which accessing broad categories of online services requires users to prove their age. Protecting children and safeguarding their ability to participate responsibly in the digital world are not mutually exclusive goals, and Europe has an opportunity to instead pursue a more balanced approach.
Rather than categorically excluding young people from online platforms, policymakers should focus on addressing specific harms, giving parents and young people meaningful tools and choices, and requiring platforms to adopt effective safety measures that do not unnecessarily compromise privacy or free expression.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]
