German States Propose Social Media Ban for Children Under 14 Amid Meta Legal Cases

The state governments of Lower Saxony and Thuringia are advancing a political initiative to prohibit social media access for children under 14 and create age-appropriate access for those under 16. They propose introducing federal and EU-wide regulations requiring platforms to disable algorithm-driven recommendations for youth and implement age verification. This follows significant legal actions in the United States, where Meta was fined $375 million in Santa Fe for failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation on Facebook and Instagram. In Los Angeles, separate litigation alleges Google and Meta cause addiction and social harm to children. Prosecutors in New Mexico demonstrated the platforms' failures by creating underage accounts that received explicit content and adult solicitations.