Following the adoption of the law on the digital age of majority at 15, passed on 2 March, Justine Atlan, Director of the e-Enfance Association, was interviewed by Today in France/Le Parisien on the issue of social networks that are theoretically reserved for those over the age of 13.
«In reality, c‘it is false, as there is no law prohibiting it. It is a practice imposed by social networks and originating from American regulations. It requires them to obtain parental consent for children under 13, and they have decided not to accept them so as not to get involved in this. There is a major misunderstanding about this age […] because, on top of that, minors lie about their age and bypass these filters. »
She indicates that all the protection of minors on the Internet is based on a system of verification of the age of internet users and adds that certain risks could be reduced with to the implementation of a parental consent for the registration of children under 15 on platforms.
« The risks are varied, including a negative impact on young people's mental health who spend too much time on social media. There is the’addiction, which affects everyone, but is even more so dangerous for young people in development. But also the dangers of cyberbullying, from revenge pornography or behaviours when in contact with a human being who is not yet mature.»
