EU Commission considering safeguards for minors on digital platforms

BRUSSLES, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- The European Commission announced on Friday the launch of its first investigative actions under the Guidelines on the Protection of Minors within the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
In a press release, the Commission requested from Snapchat, YouTube, Apple, and Google to provide information about age verification systems, and the measures taken to prevent minors from accessing illegal or harmful products and materials online.
The statement quoted the Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen saying "We will do what it takes to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children and teens online," stressing that "this responsibility starts with the online platforms themselves." " Platforms have the obligation to ensure the safety of minors through measures included in the guidelines, or other efficient measures of their own choosing", she added, noting that the Commission, "together with national authorities in the Member States, is assessing whether the measures taken so far by the platforms are indeed protecting children." The Commission requested Snapchat to provide details on how it prevents children under the age of 13 from accessing its services, as prohibited by its own terms of service, in addition to information about the features it uses to prevent the sale of illegal goods to minors, such as vapes and drugs.
Regarding YouTube, the Commission asked for further details on its age-assurance system and its recommender algorithm, following reports of harmful, disseminated content to minors on the platform.
As for the Apple App Store and Google Play, the Commission seeks to understand how they manage the risks of users, including minors, being able to download illegal or harmful apps, such as gambling apps or tools used to create non-consensual sexualized content. The Commission also requested clarification on how both app stores apply age ratings to applications.
It affirmed that it is taking additional measures, in cooperation with national authorities in the Member States, to ensure the effective implementation of the guidelines on the protection of minors across all platforms, large and small, and to identify which platforms pose the greatest risks to children.(end) arn.nhq