The Parliament of Portugal, in its first reading, approved a bill that provides for mandatory parental consent for children aged 13 to 16 to access social networks. The initiative aims to protect young people from cyberbullying, harmful content, and dangerous individuals.
The bill was approved by 148 deputies, 69 against, and 13 abstained. The bill could be amended before the final vote. Its authors from the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) say that the initiative will help reduce risks for adolescent users.
It is envisaged that parents will provide consent through the national Digital Mobile Key (DMK) system, which will also ensure compliance with the ban on access to social networks, video- and image-sharing platforms, and online betting sites for children up to 13 years old.
The explanatory note to the bill states that it aims to close a gap in legislation that allowed international digital platforms to “unilaterally set the rules” affecting children’s cognitive and emotional development, especially in cases of early or excessive use of social networks.
Context and the Authors’ Position
The authors emphasize that over the past two decades, social networks, without proper regulation, have partly taken on functions traditionally performed by families and schools.
“We must protect our children; we do not seek to ban for ban’s sake, we intend to create a norm that will give more authority to parents and families to supervise and monitor.”
– Paulo Marcelo
He noted that tech companies that ignore the restrictions could be fined up to 2% of their global revenue.
In the context of other countries, the situation has also drawn attention: in France last month, the lower house of Parliament backed a bill to ban children under 15 from using social networks, and in Australia, in December, the world’s first ban on people under 16 from using social networks, including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, came into effect.