Solutions for the protection of children on the Internet must be part of a wider, European coordinated regulation. This was stated by the opposition movement Progresívne Slovensko (PS). PS Vice President Zora Jaurová claims that the government’s unclear steps so far without specific outlines weaken the institutions that are supposed to guarantee the security of the digital space.
According to Jaurová, the regulation of the digital environment will be one of the key topics in the coming years, which is why it is also important for Slovakia. “While the government is looking for new solutions, important tools already exist today. This issue is currently partially covered by the Council for Media Services as the national authority for the European regulation on digital services.” she reminded.
Jaurová said that effective regulation cannot be built on a single measure. A framework of several measures can be created at the EU level, so she would expect the Minister of Investments Samuel Migaľ (independent) to join forces with countries that promote pan-European regulation and not come up with vague promises of national legislation. “For example, we were able to participate in the pilot testing of a European digital wallet,” she noted.
MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová pointed out the current events in the European Parliament. “Last week, we approved by a large majority the proposal that children should have access to social networks from the age of 16, while from the age of 13 they need parental consent,” she stated that not all Slovak MEPs supported the protection of children. Digital Ostrihoňová also emphasized that the member states need a unified, harmonized framework.
The Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic announced on Monday that it will prepare a new law on the protection of minors in public and digital space. A working group composed of various experts will be created for this. The law is supposed to cover several areas. The topics are also the minimum age for children’s access to social networks or the protection of the identity of minors in the online space and in connection with deepfake videos. They also raise the question of the existence of child influencers.
