The minister responsible for the digital defended on Thursday in the National Assembly a verification of the age of the “European level” to access social networks, facing the commission of investigation responsible for evaluating the psychological effects of Tiktok on minors.
Hearing of the deputies, Clara Chappaz begged “harmonization of age verification” at the level of the European Union to “allow the possibility that each member personnel determine the age at which access to social networks is authorized.”
Measures in three months
The minister took “three months” to approve the minimum age of use of social networks at age 15 in France.
If most of them theoretically prohibits that children under 13 are registered, almost a child of 11 to 12 years of two is present, according to Arch, the regulator of the sector.
“If we are not successful, we will take measures nationwide,” he said, in line with the statements of President Macron, while acknowledging that he did not have “all answers” about the possibility of such application in France against European law.
The minister also insisted on the “solid scientific consensus” around the dangers related to the intensive exposure of children from 8 to 15 years to these platforms, detailing “sleep disorders, eating disorders, an increase in risk behavior and confinement in algorithmic bubbles.”
Who to verify?
On the technical means to apply the verification of the age, Clara Chappaz has referred to the measures established in recent months to block the access of minors to pornographic sites.
The European regulation on digital services (DSA), which entered into force last year, stipulates that the verification of service users are applications or sites themselves.
But the giants of the sector such as the Meta campaign (Facebook, Instagram) so that this load returns to Google and Apple mobile application stores, which they reject.
The parliamentarians, who interviewed almost 150 experts and players in the sector and made a public consultation that received more than 30,000 responses, must submit their report before September 12.
Source: BFM TV
