Portugal's parliament approved a bill on Thursday (12 February), on its first reading, requiring explicit parental consent for children aged 13 to 16-years old to access social media, in one of the first concrete legislative moves in Europe to impose such restrictions.
Authors of the draft legislation from the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) say it is needed to protect children from cyberbullying, harmful content and predatory individuals.
A public system known as Digital Mobile Key (DMK) will be used by parents to give consent, also helping to enforce the existing ban for children under the age of 13 to access digital social media, video and image-sharing platforms, or online betting sites.
Tech providers are also required to implement an age verification system compatible with the DMK.
The bill, approved by 148-69 votes with 13 abstentions, can still be modified before the final vote.
The Portuguese bill says it will fill a regulatory gap that has allowed "multinational digital platforms to set rules unilaterally", affecting children's cognitive and emotional development, particularly with early or excessive exposure.
It says that over the past two decades, social media has assumed roles long held by families and schools without regulation.
"We have to protect our children...we don't intend to prohibit for the sake of prohibiting, we intend to create a norm to give more power to parents and families, to accompany and control," PSD lawmaker Paulo Marcelo said before the vote.
He said that tech companies ignoring the restrictions could face fines of up to 2% of their global revenue.
Meanwhile, last month, France's lower house backed legislation to ban children under 15-years old from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
Australia's world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.
The United States and Iran have traded fresh strikes, with the U.S. hitting military sites and Iran launching missiles and drones at bases and ship...
A London court has handed down lengthy sentences to activists from campaign group Palestine Action, who raided an Israeli-owned arms company in the U...
Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, has lost her London social housing flat after a UK council seized it. ...
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 tril...
Iran said no final decision has been made on a proposed agreement with Washington, despite suggestions from U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal co...
Soaring temperatures across Europe have broken records in Portugal and sparked heat alerts in Italy and France, affecting events including the French Open tennis tournament.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 29 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The U.S. ambassador to Portugal has urged Lisbon to replace its ageing F-16 fighter jets with Lockheed Martin’s F-35, saying the stealth aircraft would ensure compatibility with Europe’s top-tier air forces.
António José Seguro’s decisive victory over far-right challenger André Ventura marks an historic moment in Portuguese politics, but analysts caution that the result does not amount to a rejection of populism.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
A London court has handed down lengthy sentences to activists from campaign group Palestine Action, who raided an Israeli-owned arms company in the UK.
Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, has lost her London social housing flat after a UK council seized it.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Ukraine will increase military wages and expand recruitment of foreign volunteers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday, as the armed forces face a critical personnel shortage after more than four years of war with Russia.
Poland will receive a new $4 billion loan from the United States through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, strengthening defence ties between the two NATO allies as Warsaw continues a major military modernisation drive.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment