The message from Europeans is clear: children deserve a digital world where they can grow up free, safe and protected.

[gnemmi@mastodon.sdf.org]

@EUCommission excellent article!. I know you have what it takes to solve the issues at stake.

But, given Meta's ineffective and systematic failure to enforce their self imposed restrictions to prevent underage citizens from exposure to age-inappropriate experiences, wouldn't it be time to start thinking about taking away their right to do so and begin to impose them legislated planned restrictions in accordance to the law of the state instead of shifting the burden on the citizen's shoulders?

[the_universality@mastodon.novotnykrystof.com]

@proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission

This is quite too extreme. If at most, I would blame this on a good old corruption, (edit) but most likely this https://mstdn.social/@samueljohnson/116562301541092022 (/edit)
Also, the EC is in no way far-right but rather left-leaning.

[lijepasam@social.vivaldi.net]

@EUCommission
As an adult, I also want to feel safe and protected from harmful content, cyberbullying, and addictive online designs.

[the_universality@mastodon.novotnykrystof.com]

@elricofmelnibone @EUCommission

I mean the metric is most likely true.

If you read closely it reads
"92% of Europeans say children’s protection online is high priority"
but there is no mention by which instrument. Whether by education or ID checking.

So it may be misleading at best.
On the other hand, EC doesn't suggest the instrument in this message either.

[theloopfarm@mastodon.social]

@ASardinianAbroad @EUCommission Because most parents are too lazy to keep their kids safe therefore everyone else's kids have to be made less safe by handing over their personal information to some tech bro in a massive corporation?

Come on. That's the great idea? The best they could come up with?

How about just educating parents and giving them local tools to protect their kids?

[gnemmi@mastodon.sdf.org]

@lijepasam absolutely agree. Be it to a higher or lesser degree: we all do. We deserve the right to be protected from harmful behavior, commercial practices and business models. Corporations are not human beings, they are just a juridical fiction. We, in contrast, are real people that deserve so much more protection by the law of the State we create to keep us safe from abusive practices and the imperium of the law of the strongest.

@EUCommission

[rudi@tyrol.social]

@EUCommission yes, protecting children is important indeed. but why are the EU and so many governments using this as a cover up for destroying anonymity, disturbing privacy, in the end surveilling their citizens?
the best protection for children is controlling the platforms, not controlling the people.

[theloopfarm@mastodon.social]

@ASardinianAbroad @usernomnomnom @EUCommission He's right. You attacked me and misrepresented my views.

You should say sorry.

[vekkq@social.vivaldi.net]

@EUCommission I'd be glad if children would be protected offline.

Despite a duty of protection, schools often don't protect children from continued bullying.

[vitor@hachyderm.io]

@EUCommission Yes yes, a world where children can grow up free to becomes adults without freedom or privacy, if you get your way with age verification and Chat Control (whose attempts at making it pass have been frankly abusive and anti-democratic).

You broke everyone’s trust over and over and over and over and over again with Chat Control. It’ll be a hard (but worthy) road to get that trust back. No one believes your stated intentions with age verification tech, nor should they. Even if the current representatives in the EU were trustworthy, you’re opening the door for despots later on.

[asardinianabroad@mastodon.social]

@theloopfarm @usernomnomnom @EUCommission my apologize then.

[theloopfarm@mastodon.social]

@ASardinianAbroad @usernomnomnom @EUCommission awe thanks!

[paul@social.lightlyseared.online]

@onepict @EUCommission This.

[samueljohnson@mstdn.social]

@The_Universality @proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission I have corresponded with an MEPs. They are technologically illiterate, naive about the collateral effects, subjected to lobbying by both big tech firms and law enforcement that always wants more surveillance and uses horror stories effectively. In addition, some are religious fundamentalists with latent authoritarian instincts.

None of that amounts to corruption.

[killick@dmv.community]

@EUCommission

You want a digital world for kids, then go ahead and create it and leave the internet alone. The internet is for everyone, but it's not a nursery. If it's not safe for your kid, don't let your kid use it. Use that Digital World thing you want, whatever that is.

What, exactly, is so hard about telling your child no?

[the_universality@mastodon.novotnykrystof.com]

@samueljohnson @proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission That's why I've said at most, although I shall have been more specific.

You are right on this. The good old nescience and/or incompetence is behind most.

(I'll edit my previous message to mention this.)

[samueljohnson@mstdn.social]

@The_Universality @proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission Thanks for your clarification. The EU has its faults and there have been corrupt and dishonest individuals in parliament and elsewhere, but to dismiss the entire EU as corrupt is simply wrong. It's currently the only organization on earth capable of regulating big tech, in Europe at least.

[inctail@infosec.exchange]

@EUCommission

Then maybe address it the right way, you write the following:

the negative impact of social media on their mental health (93%),
cyberbullying and online harassment (92%)

These two are addressed if you go after the real problem, Big tech and their algorithms, not restrict citizens rights by making us send more information to them.

assuring mechanisms to restrict age in appropriate content (92%).

This is plain and simple parenting, all my children have iPhones, none of them have social media because I speak to them about the issues and set boundaries, now none of them want it.

[the_universality@mastodon.novotnykrystof.com]

@samueljohnson @proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission
Indeed. I didn't meant to suggest dismissing the EU as corrupt. If it seemed that way, excuse my phrasing.

As for the ability to regulate big tech, I wouldn't be that optimistic.

(Not all things are verified)
https://rebalance-now.de/en/von-der-leyen-halts-billions-dollar-fine-against-google-criticism-from-parliament-and-civil-society/

[samueljohnson@mstdn.social]

@The_Universality @proscience @penguinrebellion @EUCommission I am also not optimistic about the EU's *willingness* to regulate big tech. Willingness and ability are not the same thing.

Apart from anything else the EU is currently constrained by matters of timing and circumstances may change later this year.