Calls for social media minimum age

Following moves in Australia to bring in a minimum age for social media, support for the same policy in Switzerland is strong.

It’s now being discussed in Bern.

According to a survey by Tamedia, 78% would like to see under 16s banned from social media. 

Earlier this year, the group Addiction Switzerland published a study that found eight out of ten boys and 9 out of ten girls used social media every day – with 10% of those suffering a ‘problematic use’ issue.

But the government seems less keen to bring in new rules. The Federal Department of Home Affairs points out under 13-year-olds shouldn’t be on social media anyway, as that’s against the terms and conditions of many sites and there is advice available on how to use social media responsibly. 

The Federal Council has issued a statement, saying it 'considers prevention and awareness-raising as more effective than extensive regulation.’ 

 

 

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play