Khaberni - Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said today, Sunday, that he supports a ban on the use of social media by children under 15 years old, at a time when an increasing number of European countries are planning to impose similar restrictions.
Countries, including Spain, Greece, Britain, and France, are considering adopting stricter stances on the use of social media; due to concerns about potential negative effects on children, after Australia became the first country to ban access to these platforms for those under 16 years old in December.
Babis said in a video message posted on several of his social media accounts today, Sunday, without going into further details: "I support this because the experts I know say it has severe harm on children. We must protect our children," as reported by "Reuters".
Later in the day, Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek said in a television talk show on private channel CNN Prima News that the cabinet is seriously considering a proposal to impose a ban. He added that if the council decides to proceed with this matter, legislation would be proposed during this year.
Last week, Spain and Greece proposed banning the use of social media by minors, in the context of Europe taking a stricter stance towards technology that some believe is designed to cause addiction.
The measures announced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez angered billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the platform "X," formerly known as Twitter.
Britain is considering imposing a ban similar to Australia, while France is working on legislation to ban the use of social media by children under the age of 15.
Governments and regulatory bodies around the world are researching the impact of screen time on children's growth and mental health.
