Watch: Alex Agius Saliba Urges EU To Ban Social Media For Children
PL deputy leader and MEP Alex Agius Saliba has urged the EU to follow Australia’s lead and ban social media for children.
Addressing the European Parliament, Agius Saliba warned that the online world isn’t safe for children due to issues like grooming, cyberbullying, deepfakes, and social media algorithms promoting self-harm content.
“As a parent, these concerns keep me up at night and I know that I’m not alone,” he said.
“Our citizens all know that something is intrinsically wrong, and big tech platforms are aware of it, as whistleblowers have informed us.”
“But they don’t care. They are making huge profits off our children and this isn’t accentual, but a fundamental part of how social media operates – grabbing your attention and keeping your eyes glue to the screen. If they won’t act, then we must act.”
Agius Saliba said that there should be legal minimum age requirements for social media, complete with age verification systems, rather than the current process of simply confirming your age.
“The European Commission must fulfil its promise to urgently address this crisis,” he said. “An expert group should have presented solutions by the end of the year. Every day we lose is a day lost in the developing of younger generations.”
Prime Minister Robert Abela announced last month that the government is planning to restrict social media use for children aged 13 and younger.
Cover photo: European Parliament