An overwhelming 94% of people in Switzerland support stricter safeguards for children and teenagers on social media.
Swiss Public Demands Stronger Child Protection Online
According to a survey conducted by GfS Bern for the Mercator Foundation, 78% of respondents believe major technology companies wield excessive influence over public opinion, Reuters reported.
Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume‑Schneider has signaled openness to restricting or even banning social media access for minors.
The Swiss government is currently drafting legislation to increase transparency and oversight of large online platforms.
The GfS Bern survey gathered responses from around 1,000 Swiss residents aged 16 and older between Dec. 1 and Dec. 12, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points
Governments Weigh Regulation And Potential Ban
The development follows neighboring Austria’s move to pursue a ban on social media use for children under 14.
Australia became the first country to impose a social media ban for users under 16 in December.
France’s lower house followed by approving a ban for those under 15 in January.
The U.K. has since opened a consultation on a similar restriction for under-16s.
Meanwhile, while Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland are weighing comparable measures, with Spain and Ireland targeting under-16s and Denmark and Greece considering limits for those under 15.
Meta And Alphabet Face Legal Pressure In The US
This comes after last week, when a Los Angeles jury found Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) negligent for designing platforms deemed harmful to young users.
The decision is expected to serve as a bellwether for similar lawsuits.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Meta is in a downtrend across short, medium and long-term periods, while its Quality score ranks in the 90th percentile.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Koshiro K On Shutterstock.com
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