On Thursday, the European Union unveiled proposals establishing stringent age restrictions for minors accessing social networking sites, online gaming, and artificial intelligence assistants. The regulatory framework also mandates that technology companies ensure their platforms are secure before allowing underage users to interact with them.
In a discussion with FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen, Lisa Dittmer, a researcher specializing in digital rights for children and young people at Amnesty International, emphasized that the negative impacts of social media now surpass its advantages. She argued that the EU must implement regulations targeting the design of these platforms rather than merely accepting the notion that safeguarding young users is a parental duty.
But how exactly do you regulate ‘design’? This feels vague and hard to enforce across borders.
Finally, someone is calling out the design flaws. Parents can’t fight addictive algorithms alone.