Nicosia, Cyprus. Children younger than 15 will no longer be able to use social media in Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, citing plans linked to the European Union’s new age verification application.
Government plans and proposed legislation
Christodoulides said protecting children in the digital environment is among the government’s top priorities and that Cyprus is moving forward immediately with implementation of the European technical proposal for age verification online.
He said the EU’s age verification system will be fully integrated into the Cypriot government’s ‘Digital Citizen’ application within the year, and added that the government intends to go beyond the baseline requirement.
Christodoulides said Cyprus will set 15 as the minimum age for creating and maintaining an account on social networking platforms, with the stated aim of protecting children, strengthening families, and ensuring more effective implementation of the framework by the platforms themselves.
He said a bill will be put forward in due course to regulate the scope of application, the obligation to verify age, sanctions for non-compliance, and transitional provisions.
EU age verification app presentation
Christodoulides attached a video to his post showing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presenting the EU’s age verification application on Wednesday.
In the video, von der Leyen said the European age verification app is ready and described it as a free and easy-to-use solution. She said users will remain in full control of their data because platforms should not scan a passport or face.
“It is for parents to raise their children and not for platforms,” she said.
Regional context
Cyprus’ decision follows a similar ban announced by the Greek government, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis posting a video last week to announce the ban.
In the video, Mitsotakis began by saying “six-seven,” in reference to a popular meme enjoyed by children.
How do you think the proposed age verification and under-15 restriction will affect social media use in Cyprus?
