Cyprus Blocks Social Media for Children Under 15
Cyprus plans to enforce strict age verification via its Digital Citizen app by 2026, aiming to shield minors under 15 from online harm while setting a potential EU benchmark for digital safety compliance.
Cyprus controls access to social media for children under 15 years old. The government of Nikos Christodoulides is setting this minimum age limit as part of a broader effort to protect minors from the risks of the digital world.
Integration into the Digital Citizen App
The relevant regulation is expected to be incorporated into the national “Digital Citizen” application by 2026. It will serve as a primary age verification tool, aiming to create a system that is genuinely functional and difficult to bypass.
The Bill and New Obligations
The forthcoming bill will clearly define the scope, the obligations of the platforms, the age verification procedures, and the penalties for non-compliance. In this way, Cyprus moves from general announcements to a binding framework.
The European Age Verification System Plays a Pivotal Role
Nicosia relies on the European age verification system. According to this system, users will only prove their age category without revealing more personal data than necessary, thus ensuring privacy.
Goals and Major Challenges
The new framework restricts uncontrolled access by minors to content that may prove harmful or addictive. At the same time, substantial responsibility is transferred to the platforms themselves, which until now relied on simple age declarations without real verification.
The big challenge is implementation in practice. If the system works properly and the platforms comply, Cyprus could become a model for the whole of Europe. Otherwise, minors will continue to create accounts within seconds by simply changing a birthdate.
