European Parliament raises minimum age for social media consent to 16

The European Parliament has voted to raise the minimum age for social media registration without parental consent to 16. This change aims to enhance the protection of minors' data across the EU. This decision revises the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), requiring parental consent for users under 16. It moves away from the previous de facto standard of 13, influenced by US law, to better safeguard young people from data collection and profiling. However, member states can set a lower age limit of 13, potentially creating fragmented rules across Europe. The new regulation necessitates significant technical adjustments by digital platforms.