The opposition Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) has submitted a bill to parliament that would ban children under the age of 13 from registering on social media platforms, following age verification.
Full social media ban may come following foreign examples
Csaba Latorcai, KDNP’s executive deputy leader, told an online press conference on Tuesday that the proposal was in line with European Union guidelines and mirrors existing laws in Denmark and Australia, the Hungarian News Agency wrote.
He insisted that Tisza government was practising “Facebook governance”, arguing that there were “no substantive bills, no state secretaries, or active parliament sessions”.
Zsuzsa Máthé, a KDNP lawmaker, said that under the party’s two-pronged proposal, devices would display warnings that digital use is not recommended for children under the age of 6. It would also require tech firms to enforce age checks to block under-13s from social media and enhance protections for under-16s, she added.
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They hope for national consensus
Máthé called digital child protection urgent, noting experts and parents have long warned of risks. She highlighted that while the Orbán government restricted smartphone use in schools to education, children remained unprotected outside classrooms.
She said KDNP hoped for national consensus and was seeking feedback on the proposal.
The KDNP – together with Orbán’s Fidesz – was in power with supermajority for almost 16 years.
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