With a new law, the Bundestag is aiming on the Internet

Berlin. Children and adolescents in Germany should be better protected from dangers when using the Internet. With the votes of the black and red coalition, the Bundestag passed the changed law on the reform of minors protection on Friday.

Reform of minors protection: What should change?

Provider of film and game platforms, for example, must ensure that there is a uniform age rating for the online content and that age-appropriate standard settings are possible. With the law, the federal government wants to prevent children and adolescents from being bullied, molested or ripped off by cost traps. For this purpose, protective mechanisms for user profiles on platforms and social media services should be present. Children should also be able to receive help from simple report options if they feel threatened.

A new federal center to protect children and adolescents in the media should check compliance with the regulations and ensure that foreign providers can also be pursued by criminal law. According to the Family Ministry, the regulations should come into force on April 1st.

The FDP criticizes additional bureaucratic efforts

Federal Minister of Family Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) emphasized in her speech in the Bundestag before the vote that children and adolescents have the right to grow up safely and safely in digital space.

The opposition sees law defects: the FDP complains about double structures and more bureaucracy, the AfD spoke of double regulation. The left sees the problem that the country's responsibilities in the media supervision could be reduced by the federal center. The Greens also see the weakness of the law that the dispute between the federal and state governments could be continued through competencies.