Macron gathers EU leaders, criticizes restrictions on children's social media

French President Emmanuel Macron is taking a serious step in the issue of child protection in the digital age. (photo: x @ShaykhSulaiman)

JAKARTA - French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a serious step in the issue of child protection in the digital age. He is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with EU leaders to discuss the potential ban on social media for minors.

The meeting will involve the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as a number of heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. Representatives from Italy, the Netherlands, and Ireland are also confirmed to take part in the discussions scheduled for this week.

Promote Uniform Policy in the European Union

This step reflects France's strong push for social media restriction policies for children not to run on their own in each country, but to be coordinated at the EU level.

"The main objective is to act in a coordinated manner and encourage the European Commission to move at the same speed as member states," a French presidential official told reporters.

This approach is important given the cross-border nature of digital platforms, so that national policies are often difficult to implement effectively without regional support.

Digital Regulation Momentum Getting Stronger

This initiative comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health and development. A number of European countries, including France, have previously considered or proposed age restrictions for access to digital platforms.

Macron's move is also in line with a global trend, where more and more governments are trying to regulate the use of social media by children - from age restrictions to total bans in school environments.

If this policy is agreed, the impact could be huge for global technology companies. Platforms such as Meta Platforms, TikTok, and Snap Inc. could face tighter regulation in one of the world's largest digital markets.

In addition, the implementation of this policy will also require complex technical solutions, such as accurate age verification without violating user privacy.

Between Digital Protection and Freedom

On the one hand, this step is seen as an effort to protect young people from the risk of addiction, harmful content, and social pressure. But on the other hand, there are concerns about limiting digital freedom and the potential for over-regulation.

This discussion led by Macron could be the starting point for a major policy that will shape the future of the internet in Europe - and may also serve as a reference for other countries, including Indonesia.

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