**Cyprus to Submit Social Media Age Limit Bill to Parliament in December**
Cyprus is set to introduce a new legislative measure aimed at regulating access to social media for minors, with a proposed minimum age of 15 for account creation and maintenance. Deputy Research Minister Nicodemos Damianou announced the plans on Thursday, confirming that the bill will be submitted to parliament in December.
The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit individuals under the age of 15 from establishing or managing accounts on social networking platforms. Responsibility for enforcing this age restriction will lie primarily with the social media platforms themselves, rather than the Cypriot government. Damianou emphasized that it is crucial for these platforms to implement effective mechanisms that can verify users' ages without compromising their personal data.
“The platforms should implement appropriate mechanisms that recognize the age of the individual and can prove that the individual is beyond the age limit specified, without storing other personal data,” Damianou stated. He assured that the legislation would detail the specific obligations that social media companies must fulfill to comply with the new law.
To facilitate age verification, Cyprus plans to utilize an age verification tool currently being developed by the European Commission, referred to as the ‘age verification blueprint’. This system will be integrated into the existing Digital Citizen app used in Cyprus. When a user attempts to create an account on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, the platform will query the verification system, which will check the user’s age against national population registry data. The system will only return a simple confirmation of whether the user meets the age requirement, without sharing any personal details such as names or dates of birth.
Damianou indicated that existing users who registered before the implementation of these age checks would also need to undergo retroactive verification. He acknowledged that this process would not be instantaneous, stating, “This cannot be done overnight.” Platforms will be granted a few months to adapt to the new regulations once they come into effect. Non-compliance with the law could result in penalties under the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The announcement of Cyprus's bill comes on the heels of a broader initiative by the European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, which introduced the ‘EU Kids Act’. This proposed framework aims to prohibit children under 13 from accessing social media altogether, while allowing those aged 13 to 15 to maintain supervised “mini accounts” with restricted usage. The framework also includes special content provisions for users aged 15 to 18.
Damianou noted that Cyprus is closely monitoring the development of the EU framework to determine how much flexibility it will afford member states in setting their own age thresholds. He expressed optimism about the potential for a technical implementation of the regulation, although he acknowledged that it would require time to execute effectively.
The domestic bill is currently at an advanced stage, with plans for public consultation through the government’s ‘citizen’s voice’ platform. Additionally, targeted consultations with organized groups will be conducted before the bill is submitted to parliament. An impact assessment will also be carried out by the child’s rights commissioner, Elena Perikleous.
The Cypriot government has cited alarming statistics indicating that 98 percent of young people in Cyprus actively use social media, the highest rate recorded in the European Union. This data has been pivotal in shaping the rationale for the proposed measures, as concerns about the impact of social media on youth continue to grow.
Damianou remarked on the significant shift in attitudes among EU member states regarding social media regulations, highlighting a collective concern over addictive algorithms and their effects on children. He noted that there is a near-unanimous agreement among European nations to pursue relevant legislative regulations aimed at protecting young users.
As Cyprus prepares to take this legislative step, it reflects a broader movement across Europe to establish stricter controls over social media access for minors, driven by the need to safeguard children's well-being in an increasingly digital world.