BERLIN

Germany's co-ruling Christian Democrats voiced support Tuesday for proposals to restrict children's access to social media platforms.

Jens Spahn, the parliamentary group leader of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, said his colleagues are discussing various ideas.

"We must better protect children and young people," he told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper. "We need age-appropriate access restrictions, clear rules for platform operators and more educational opportunities for parents and children.”

Spahn said the restrictions should be gradual and age-appropriate, and a blanket ban should be avoided.

Hendrik Wuest, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia and a prominent conservative voice, called for effective age restrictions on social media platforms.

"It's high time for effective age restrictions on social media that actually protect children in everyday life," Wuest told Focus magazine. Drawing a parallel to existing regulations, he noted that Germany restricts alcohol, tobacco, and gambling "because they demonstrably cause harm."

"If social media demonstrably endangers the mental health of young people, we can no longer look away," the CDU politician added.

The Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats’ coalition partners, recently proposed a three-tiered approach to social media restrictions based on age. Under the plan, social media would be banned for children under 14, with providers required to technically prevent their access.

For users under 16, a mandatory "youth version" of platforms would be required, stripping away addiction-enhancing features like endless scrolling, automatic content playback, and reward systems. These versions would also eliminate algorithmically controlled feeds and personalized content.

For adults 16 and older, algorithmic recommendation systems would be turned off by default, requiring users to actively opt in if they want them.