Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he is in favor of a social media ban for children under the age of 15, as European countries increasingly consider such restrictions.
“I am in favor because the experts I know say that it is terribly harmful to children,” Babis said in a video message. “We must protect our children.”
Karel Havlíček, first deputy prime minister of the Czech Republic, told local channel CNN Prima News that the government is seriously considering a social media ban for children under 15. He added that if it decides to go ahead with the ban, legislation would be proposed this year.
Governments around the world are looking into restricting children’s access to social media due to negative effects on mental health, with Australia being the first country to enact an under-16 ban.
Spain, Greece and Denmark have proposed banning children from using social media, while the UK government launched consultations on a similar ban.
In France, the lower house of parliament passed a bill banning social media for children under 15. The legislation will now head to the upper house.