Hessian Greens also want social media ban for children - Green Party pushes strict social media limits for children under 18
The Green Party has revealed a comprehensive 13-point plan to limit social media use among young people. Their proposals include a complete ban for children under 13 and tighter controls for teenagers. The party also wants platforms like TikTok and Instagram to eliminate features that encourage addictive behavior in under-18s.
Other political parties have made similar calls. Both the CDU and SPD have recently proposed age limits for social media, although their plans differ slightly from the Greens' approach.
Under the Greens' plan, children under 13 would be entirely barred from using social media. For 13- to 15-year-olds, parental consent would be mandatory before creating accounts. The party also demands that platforms disable features designed to maximize screen time, such as endless scrolling or autoplay, for anyone under 18.
The Greens are advocating for more than just restrictions. Their proposals include expanding media literacy education, starting as early as daycare centers. They also want to introduce 'digital street workers'—specialists who engage with young people online—and boost offline leisure activities to reduce screen dependency.
To enforce these rules, the party calls for a stronger police presence in digital spaces. They also propose better counseling services and psychosocial support for children affected by online risks. Additionally, the Greens emphasize involving young people directly in shaping future digital regulations.
The CDU and SPD have put forward their own plans at the federal level. The CDU, at its February 2026 conference in Stuttgart, proposed a legal age limit of 14 for social media, with extra protections up to age 16. Their demands include mandatory age verification, penalties for tech companies, and faster removal of illegal content. The SPD, meanwhile, wants a complete ban until 14, followed by a restricted 'youth version' of platforms for 14- to 16-year-olds.
Unlike the Greens' broader focus on support and education, the CDU and SPD plans concentrate mainly on age limits and platform accountability.
The Greens' proposals would introduce some of the strictest social media rules for minors in Germany. If implemented, the changes would affect millions of young users and require platforms to redesign key features. The debate now shifts to whether these measures will gain cross-party support in parliament.
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