Only from the age of 15

Government plans age limit for social media

Social media is coming into focus.(Bild: rawpixel.com / Minty – stock.adobe.com)

The government is getting serious: there could be an age restriction for social media use as early as this year. "TikTok & Co. only from age 15 to counteract increasing radicalization!" demands State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ) in an interview with the "Krone."

Austrian children and young people feel at home in the colorful digital world: social media consumption is increasing year on year, and communication via cell phone is increasingly replacing face-to-face conversation. According to the latest Youth Monitor, 87 percent of girls and boys use WhatsApp, 80 percent watch YouTube videos, and between 72 and 74 percent have Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok installed on their smartphones.