Cabinet approves plan to protect minors on social media
Cyprus’ cabinet approved an action plan proposing a minimum social media access age of 15 and a bill for public consultation.
Nicosia, Cyprus. The cabinet on Wednesday approved an action plan to protect minors using social media, citing high usage among young people and concerns over addictive behaviour and other negative effects.
Deputy Research Minister Nicodemos Damianou said 98 per cent of young people in Cyprus actively use social media, the highest proportion in the European Union.
Three-pillar action plan
Damianou said the plan focuses on social media and platforms where users create profiles, post content and interact publicly.
He said evidence demonstrated the scale and urgency of the challenge, while young people also recorded low performance in critical skills for evaluating information.
International organisations have linked increased social media use to addictive behaviour, neglect of other activities and other negative consequences in daily life, he said.
Minimum access age
The first pillar of the plan provides for setting a national minimum age for access to social media. The cabinet proposed 15 as the minimum age.
Damianou said protecting minors online could not rely solely on platforms’ self-regulation or on the personal responsibility of young people and parents.
The related bill is expected to be opened for public consultation in the coming days, with the aim of being voted into law in December.
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