GERB seeks social media ban for under-16s

Bulgaria's GERB party has tabled a bill that would ban children under 16 from using social media, MP Kostadin Angelov said.

Angelov argued that social media were turning society into "a herd without empathy" and exposing minors to violence, self-harm, dangerous online challenges, bullying, anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

"Years ago, we worried about what might happen to our children in the streets. Today, we worry about what may happen to them on social media. A single message in a chat can hurt a child more than what they may experience at school," he said.

The bill proposes a digital wallet to verify users' ages. GERB says the system would prevent children from falsely claiming they are over 18. Under the proposal, the application would be developed by the Ministry of Electronic Governance in line with EU rules on digital identity.

Editor: Diana Tsankova