Portugal restricts teenagers’ access to social networks

Restricting social networks in Portugal: Parliament in Lisbon approved in first reading a bill according to which teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 will be required to present explicit parental consent to open and operate an account on social networks. The proposal passed with a majority of 148 supporters against 69 opponents, and it is expected to now go to committee discussions before a final vote.

According to the wording of the proposal, children under the age of 16 will not be able to access social networks without verified parental permission. For this purpose, the government intends to make use of the existing government digital identification system in the country. Parents will be able to confirm the identity of their children and the opening of the account through an official identification infrastructure, and the technology companies will be required to adapt their age verification systems to this mechanism.

The legislation seeks to deal with the phenomena of online bullying, exposure to offensive content and contact with criminal elements. In the explanatory notes to the proposal, it is stated that the increasing use of social networks among minors requires an update of the existing supervision framework, so that parents will be granted a wider involvement in their children’s digital activities.

The bill was submitted by the ruling party. Its supporters argued in a debate in parliament that a clear mechanism should be established to regulate minors’ access to online platforms, after they claimed that the existing enforcement was insufficient. The law does not completely prohibit the use of social networks at these ages, but conditions it with verified parental consent.

A key aspect of the proposal concerns enforcement. Companies that do not implement an age verification system in accordance with the requirements of the law may be fined up to 2% of their global annual turnover. For international technology corporations these are significant amounts. The proposal clarifies that the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the requirements rests with the companies themselves.

Portugal joins other countries that are taking steps to limit the use of social networks by minors. In Australia, a law was recently approved that imposes a blanket ban on the use of social networks for those under the age of 16, with no possibility of circumvention even with parental consent. In France, legislation has been approved according to which children under the age of 15 will require parental permission to use digital platforms. In the United States, states such as Utah and Florida have promoted laws requiring age verification and parental approval to open accounts for minors.

Critics of the move in Portugal raised concerns about the violation of minors’ privacy and freedom of expression, and argued that the use of government identification mechanisms could expand the scope of information collected on young users. On the other hand, the supporters of the proposal claim that the balance between the freedom of use and the protection of minors requires the establishment of binding rules and not reliance on age declarations alone.

The bill will now be discussed in parliamentary committees, where technical changes may be made to it before a final vote. If approved in second and third reading, Portugal will become one of the first countries in the European Union to require verified parental consent for teenagers’ use of social networks.