Streeck Advocates Stricter Age Verification for Social Media Access

Protection of minors in media consumption:Streeck wants old -age requirements for social media

The Federal Government’s addiction and drug representative, Hendrik Streeck, sees signs of “behavioral addiction” by many children in media consumption. He now wants to counteract that.

A group of teenagers with their smartphones

What: Imago

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The addiction and drug representative of the Federal governmentHendrik Streeck (CDU), is committed to “strictly graded old –age regulations for social media” in order to limit the high digital media consumption of minors.

“It has been scientifically proven that children and adolescents who, to a large extent do not consume age -appropriate content, become more susceptible to risky addictive behavior and problematic drug use,” said the CDU politician The “Rheinische Post”. Streeck pointed out that Federal Minister of Family Affairs Karin Prien (CDU) commissioned a commission on the subject.

The Hamburg Foundation for Future Questions presented its annual monitor. Digital media consumption continues to increase. Meeting with friends will be less.

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Streeck: “Noring High Values” in media consumption

Streeck spoke of a “behavioral addiction” of many children. “We speak on average of four hours on social networks, two hours with computer games and two hours with streaming services a day.”

“These are questionably high values, measured by children’s leisure time and how this could ideally be used for social, motor and sensory skills,” said Streeck. And that is only the average. “So there are also children who are sitting on their cell phones for a long time and you wonder when they sleep?”

Many children surf the net for hours. A petition now calls for a ban on social media for under 16 year olds. The Bundestag wants to advise on this soon.

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Despite all the concerns, he sees the much discussed Cell phone bans for elementary school students critical. Such a difficult question cannot be answered with yes or no and a ban does not solve the problem either. “Because we want young people with the media and use the technologies. After all, they are indispensable from everyday life in the digital age,” Streeck said. “But the dose makes the poison.”

In the city of Bremen there is a ban on cell phones from the 1st to 10th grade. The reactions of parents and teachers are mostly positive.

14.08.2025 | 1:28 min

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Streeck takes responsibility for parents

When containing the use, the addiction and drug officer first sees the children and young people in demand and in particular their parents.

If you look at the fact that 42 percent of ten to eleven-year-olds have a TikTok account, something gets out of hand.

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Hendrik Streeck, addiction and drug representative of the federal government

Because actually the platform can only be used freely and “full of dangerous and questionable content for children” without the consent of the parents.

Sitting on the smartphone for hours – a situation that many know. Can media training help?

29.07.2025 | 3:01 min

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Social association calls for school subject “media literacy”

In response to the problems, the Social Association of Germany calls for a mandatory school subject “media literacy” on all further Train. “We are no longer allowed to leave children alone with the dangers of the digital world,” said association chairman Michaela Engelmeier to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Not all children benefit from training in the parents’ house. Many are disinformed, democracy-insignary agitation and AI generated content defenseless, without instructions, without classification.

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Michaela Engelmeier, Chair of the Social Association of Germany

Human addiction to children

:Tikok, Insta & Co. – How much is too much?

How much screen time is appropriate? When does dependency begin? Answers to the most important questions about online addiction to children and young people.

by Sven Rieken

FAQ

Those: dpa

What specific concerns does Dr. streeck raise regarding social media access for young users?

The Growing call for Enhanced Online safety

Recent advocacy from dr.Michael Streeck, a prominent virologist and public health expert, is intensifying the debate surrounding age verification on social media platforms. His concerns, echoing those of numerous child safety advocates and lawmakers, center on the potential harms faced by young users exposed to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. This push for stricter measures comes amidst increasing scrutiny of social media’s impact on children’s mental health and well-being.

Current Age Verification methods: A Critical Assessment

Currently, most social media platforms rely on self-reporting for age verification. Users simply select a birthdate during account creation, a system demonstrably easy to circumvent. This lack of robust verification leads to a critically important number of underage users accessing platforms designed for adults.

here’s a breakdown of the current landscape:

Self-Reporting: The most common, and least effective, method.

COPPA Compliance: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires parental consent for collecting data from children under 13, but enforcement remains a challenge.

Age-Gating Technologies: some platforms employ basic age-gating,but these are often easily bypassed.

these existing methods are proving inadequate,fueling the demand for more elegant digital age verification solutions.

Proposed Solutions and Technologies for Age Verification

Dr. Streeck’s advocacy highlights the need for innovative technologies to accurately verify user age. Several options are being explored:

ID verification: requiring users to submit a government-issued ID for verification. Concerns around data privacy and accessibility need to be addressed.

Biometric Data: Utilizing facial recognition or other biometric data to estimate age.This raises significant privacy concerns and potential for bias.

Third-Party Verification Services: Companies specializing in age verification can provide a layer of authentication. Examples include Yoti and Veriff.

Database Cross-Referencing: Checking user-provided data against existing databases (with appropriate privacy safeguards).

Age Assurance Technologies: These technologies aim to verify age without collecting or storing personal data, focusing on probabilistic methods.

The key is finding a balance between robust age assurance and protecting user privacy. Online safety for kids is paramount, but not at the expense of fundamental rights.

The Legal and Regulatory Landscape

The pressure for change is translating into legislative action. Several countries and states are considering or have already implemented laws requiring stricter age verification on social media.

Utah’s Social Media Regulation (2023): Requires parental consent for minors to access social media.

Awaiting Supreme Court Review: Several similar laws are facing legal challenges, primarily concerning First amendment rights.

European Union’s Digital Services act (DSA): Includes provisions aimed at protecting minors online, including age verification requirements.

UK Online Safety Bill: Places a duty of care on social media platforms to protect users,including children,from harmful content.

These legal developments signal a growing recognition of the need for greater social media regulation and accountability.

Benefits of Stricter Age verification

Implementing robust age verification systems offers numerous benefits:

Reduced Exposure to Harmful Content: Protecting children from inappropriate material, including pornography, violence, and hate speech.

Combating Cyberbullying: Creating a safer online habitat for young users.

Preventing Online Exploitation: Reducing the risk of children being targeted by predators.

Improved Mental Health: Mitigating the negative impacts of social media on children’s self-esteem and body image.

Enhanced Parental Control: Empowering parents to better manage their children’s online activities.

Challenges and Concerns Regarding Implementation

Despite the potential benefits, implementing stricter age verification faces several challenges:

privacy Concerns: Balancing age verification with the protection of personal data.

Accessibility: Ensuring that verification methods are accessible to all users,irrespective of their access to technology or identification documents.

Circumvention: Preventing users from finding ways to bypass verification systems.

Accuracy: ensuring that verification methods are accurate and do not falsely identify adults as minors.

Cost: Implementing and maintaining age verification systems can be expensive for social media platforms.

Real-World Examples and Case Studies

the case of Molly russell, a 14-year-old British girl who died by suicide after viewing harmful content on social media, brought the issue of online safety into sharp focus. Her death highlighted the devastating consequences of unchecked access to harmful content and fueled calls for greater accountability from social media platforms. This tragic event underscores the urgency of implementing effective age verification solutions.

Furthermore, investigations into Meta (Facebook and Instagram) have revealed internal research acknowledging the negative impact of Instagram on teenage girls’ mental health, further emphasizing the need for proactive measures.

Practical Tips for Parents and Guardians

While waiting for platforms to implement stronger verification, parents can take steps to protect