The Council of Ministers today approved the Action Plan for the Protection of Minors on Online Social Networking Services, also known as social media. This refers to services that function as social networking platforms where users create profiles, post content, and interact publicly.
This is a significant decision, through which the Government is moving from identifying a major social challenge to establishing a concrete and comprehensive framework for action to effectively address it.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The data clearly illustrate the scale and urgency of the challenge; by way of example, I would like to mention the following:
- 98% of young people in Cyprus actively use social media—the highest percentage in the EU. However, low performance is observed in critical information evaluation skills.
- Data from international organizations indicate that increased social media use is linked to addictive behavior, neglect of other activities, conflicts with one’s social circle, and other negative impacts on daily life.
- International experience demonstrates that the protection of minors online can no longer rely exclusively on platform self-regulation or on the individual responsibility of young people or parents.
The Action Plan is based on three key pillars:
The first pillar concerns the establishment of a “digital age of majority” at the national level. With today’s decision, the Council of Ministers proposes setting the age of 15 as the minimum age below which access to social media will not be permitted.
The relevant bill will be put out for public consultation in the very near future, with the aim of submitting it to the House of Representatives for a vote this coming December. Under the bill, the primary responsibility for compliance will rest with the platforms themselves, which will be required to implement reliable age verification mechanisms, incorporating the proposed European solution once it is finalized.
At the same time, and prior to the finalization of the bill, a Child Rights Impact Assessment will be conducted regarding the proposed age limit, as well as a public consultation through the “Voice of the Citizen” as well as organized dialogue with youth organizations and relevant stakeholders.
The second pillar concerns the development of a digital age verification mechanism, modeled after the technical solution proposed by the European Commission (EU Age Verification Blueprint). The mechanism will be integrated within the coming year into the “Digital Citizen,” through which users will be able to prove that they meet the required age threshold without sharing any other personal data.
The third pillar focuses on education and raising awareness among the public: children, parents, and educators. It provides, among other things:
- the gradual restructuring of curricula at all levels of education to include modules on the safe and creative use of the internet, as well as the updating of the curriculum for computer science courses in secondary and technical education.
- providing professional development for all teachers on how to use the internet safely and creatively; specialized professional development for teachers in Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training; as well as training for Guidance and Career Education Teachers to integrate relevant topics into their pedagogical and counseling interventions.
- the organization of targeted campaigns, conferences, and workshops to inform and raise awareness among students, parents, and educators on issues related to the protection of minors online, emerging risks, and the responsible use of digital technologies.
Finally, the Action Plan calls for further study on the permanent and long-term operation of the Safe Internet Center’s services, as well as the creation of mechanisms for reporting and addressing related incidents.
The success of this effort requires the cooperation of all: the government, the educational community, parents and civil society, as well as the digital platforms themselves, which are called upon to implement substantive and effective measures to protect children.
For the government, the safety, rights, and well-being of every child are a non-negotiable priority.
The Action Plan is a dynamic framework, the implementation of which will be monitored and updated in light of technological advancements, as well as initiatives developed at the European level. We are moving forward immediately and consistently with its implementation so that every child can take advantage of the opportunities of the digital world safely, knowledgeably, and with effective protection.
