EU law could stop kids using social media

[Aldo]

European regulators could prevent under-16s from using social media without parental consent.

The changes have been proposed as a last-minute amendment to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a draft directive currently being debated by EU lawmakers.

The amendment states that companies handle the personal information of those under 16 with the consent of “the holder of parental responsibility over the child”.

Effectively, this would require explicit consent from a parent or guardian before teenagers signed up for any social media or internet service.

This proposal has raised strenuous objections from tech companies, who have added their voices to critici*** of the legislation.

The proposed laws have come under particular fire from child protection groups, and organisations such as the UK’s Family Online Safety Institute have penned an open letter to Brussels.

It stated that “moving the requirement for parental consent from age 13 to age 16 would deprive young people of educational and social opportunities in a number of ways, yet would provide no more (and likely even less) protection”.

It also suggests that the changes will simply force children to lie about their ages, rather than going to their parents for permission.

This, the letter said, “would make it far more difficult for online services to offer children age-appropriate guidance and tools to ensure a safe and privacy-protective experience online”.

[Detlef]

In the extra time they get they could learn something useful

[Jimdefruit]

Since a lot of youngsters have more sense and and ability than the so called "lawmakers" this smacks a little of "King Canute"

[TonyO]

The EU fiddles while Rome is burning, its borders have more holes than a swiss cheese while illegal migrants stream over its borders along with large numbers of Terr*or*ist infiltrators.

The EU doesn't have its priorities in the right order.

[TheBadger]

Can't possibly be properly policed so it's just a case of too many bureaucrats with too much time on their hands. We all need to vote for the Brexit whenever the referendum occurs. It's the only way we can force the EU to change in any way. Cameroon is just emulating Sancho Panza at the moment.