Slovakia’s government approved a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit people under the age of 16 from creating user profiles on social media platforms, according to information published on the government’s website.
The proposed restriction is part of legislation establishing an integrated protection system aimed at preventing radicalization and incitement to violence. The bill was submitted to the cabinet by the Education Ministry.
The measure still needs to be approved by parliament before it can take effect and could come into force next year.
The bill’s explanatory memorandum said the age limit was based on psychological studies and relevant international recommendations. According to the research cited, children under 16 are at a stage of development in which critical thinking, emotional regulation and social relationships are still developing, leaving them particularly vulnerable to potentially manipulative or otherwise harmful content recommended by algorithms.
Under the proposed rules, social media operators would have to introduce age verification systems without gaining access to users’ other personal data. The entity conducting the age check would also not be allowed to know which social media platform had requested the verification.
The legislation proposes using tools developed under the European Union’s digital identity framework for the purposes of verifying users’ ages.
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