Slovenia prepares legislation to ban social media for under-15s

Slovenia is preparing draft legislation to ban social media access for children under 15, Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon told a news conference on Thursday.

Slovenia, with a population of around 2 million, is following Spain and Greece, which earlier this week proposed bans on social media use by teenagers in a sign of hardening attitudes in Europe towards the technology that some say is designed to be addictive.

Arcon said the Education Ministry had initiated the move, based on the experience of other countries, and that experts in education and digital technologies would also be involved in drafting the law that aims to protect children and adolescents.

"This has been a hot topic around the world and in Europe in recent weeks and months, and with this, we as a government are showing that we care about our children," Arcon said after the government session.

He said the government wants to regulate social networks where content is shared, mentioning TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, among others.

While Spain wants to prohibit social media for under-16s, Greece is close to announcing a similar ban for children under 15, according to a senior government source.

Other countries, such as Britain and France, are also considering tougher stances on social media, after Australia in December became the first country to prohibit access to such platforms for children younger than 16.

-Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic. Editing by Jane Merriman/Reuters