Flanders Sets Enforceable Minimum Age of Thirteen for Harmful Social Media
While existing rules already set 13 as the minimum age for social media accounts, these are often bypassed due to weak enforcement, according to the **Belga** news agency. The new decree will require platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to adopt robust age checks to prevent underage access.
The measure follows ongoing concern in Flanders about the risks social media poses to young people, including exposure to harmful content, unsafe interactions, addictive algorithms, and misinformation. It builds on the “Safe Online” action plan approved last year, which emphasized protection through age verification and limiting addictive features rather than imposing a full ban until age 16.
Under the new framework, authorities will maintain an official list of “harmful social media” platforms required to comply with the age limit. Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter highlighted the importance of enforceable rules, warning that tech companies must protect young users or risk removal from the market.
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