- Minimum age and age verification worldwide: eco Infomap shows how numerous national approaches and debates are shaping the regulatory patchwork for the protection of minors
Berlin, 9 September 2026 – The final conference of the expert commission on “Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World” will take place on 11 September. One of the key issues is the question of age limits and a minimum age. In this context, eco – Association of the Internet Industry reiterates its call for Germany to consistently support a European solution when it comes to regulating children’s and young people’s access to social media. In the association’s view, national regulations – even if intended merely as a transitional solution – would be the wrong approach. They would lead to significant fragmentation of the European legal framework, with far-reaching consequences for both companies and the protection of children and young people.
Divergent national approaches jeopardise effective European child protection
The information paper published today by eco, “Minimum Age and Age Verification for Digital Services – International Developments and Regulatory Approaches”, uses international examples to illustrate how differently countries approach minimum age requirements and age verification. The multitude of national models highlights how quickly a regulatory patchwork can emerge for cross-border digital services.
“The protection of children and young people in the digital space is a shared European responsibility. That is why the response must also be a European one”, says Alexandra Koch-Skiba, Head of the eco Complaints Office. “Germany should therefore now use its political influence to drive forward the European dialogue towards a common solution.”
The eco information paper highlights a clear trend: more and more countries are introducing statutory minimum age limits for social media, often set at 15 or 16 years. It is therefore encouraging that the expert commission’s recommendations also introduce a minimum age of 13 into the debate, corresponding to the voluntary age limits already applied by many providers. The issue of age verification will also be crucial: it must be effective while ensuring data minimisation, proportionality and international compatibility. Child protection must not come at the expense of data protection, freedom of information and digital participation.
Europe is already working on joint solutions
With the expert commission’s closing conference, the issue of minimum age is once again moving to the top of the political agenda. Following the recommendations for action, concrete implementation steps are now expected. The debate is also likely to gain momentum at European level in the coming days: on 16 September, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will present the Commission’s priorities and initiatives for the coming year in her State of the European Union address.
According to the eco Association, the foundations for a common European approach are already in place: with the Digital Services Act, the EU has a common legal framework that also covers the protection of minors. Furthermore, the European Commission is already working on European tools for age verification.
To support its call, eco is publishing its latest information paper here, highlighting the consequences of differing national regulations and the looming threat of a European regulatory patchwork.
About the eco Complaints Office
The eco Complaints Office has been active since 1996 and is an integral part of the system of regulated self-regulation in Germany. It enables Internet users to report content harmful to young people and criminal content free of charge and anonymously, and works closely with providers, public authorities and international partners.
To mark its 30th anniversary, we are pleased to offer interested media representatives background briefings and in-depth insights into the work of the eco Complaints Office in Cologne.
