斯特拉斯堡——據法新社所見的一份草案文本顯示，歐盟正擬提出限制未滿15歲的兒童使用社交媒體、視頻分享平台、聊天機械人及線上遊戲的權限。
一項拟議中的新法案將於本週四（9月17日）正式提出，內容包括禁止15歲以下的未成年人自行開設帳戶，並對年紀較小的兒童實施由父母監督的分級訪問制度。
除了年齡限制，新版EU KIDS Act亦會強制數碼巨頭使其平台以「設計時就安全」的原則運作，意味著草案顯示必須移除某些被視為「成癮性」的特徵，如所謂的無盡捲動。
歐盟委員會承受到多個成員國的壓力，包括法國和希臘，要求採取區域性層面的措施，以保護兒童免受社交媒體的危害；這股壓力在澳大利亞禁止16歲以下人士使用此類平台後變得更強烈。
歐盟主席馮德萊恩將於週三在法國斯特拉斯堡舉行的年度歐洲議會演說中，讓人初步見到新法的走向。
她隨後於次日與歐盟科技主管海娜·維爾金努恩共同提出該提案，草案顯示該提案將禁止成癮性功能，如無盡捲動、人工通知，以及部分對兒童有獎勵性的功能。
歐盟委員會——歐盟的數字監管機構——拒絕就法新社所見草案的細節作出評論。
以下是草案中的主要提議，文本在週四公佈前仍可能變動：
逐步年齡限制
草案稱，新法「在整個歐盟為未成年人開設自主帳戶設定的最低年齡為15歲」，並對較小年齡層實施分級制度。
13與14歲的未成年人必須請求父母幫忙設置「入門級」的社交媒體、人工智能或遊戲平台帳戶，這些帳戶功能有限，並有嚴格的屏幕時間限制。
這些帳戶亦受父母控制。
3至13歲的兒童可以訪問「由父母全權控制的、面向兒童友善服務」的帳戶，並遵守嚴格的安全標準。
年齡在三歲以下的兒童在27個成員國中，將無法訪問社交媒體及其他「風險性服務」。
The EU is simultaneously preparing to roll out an age check app to ensure children are kept off such platforms.
The rules on gradual access make the EU’s approach different to that chosen by Australia, where parents cannot consent to children below 16 having any access to social media.
The law’s enforcement will be paid for by a supervisory fee on platforms.
The EU already has powerful laws to protect children, including the content rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), with which it has told Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok, to change their addictive design.
But in the document, the EU admits the “existing rules do not suffice”, since there is no “outright ban on common problematic features”.
It said the new law would build on enforcement of the DSA, which allows in theory for fines of up to 6 per cent of a company’s annual global turnover.
安全設計
The EU’s approach “needs to limit the access of tech companies to our children, and not the other way around”, the document says.
Alongside a ban on addictive features, the draft says the EU would regulate so-called recommender systems – the algorithms that feed users more personalised content – to control the content promoted to children and avoid harm.
The EU wants children’s accounts to remain private, with “risky settings” disabled by default and unknown users prevented from contacting minors.
There will also be “tailored commitments” for online games and AI chatbots.
The proposal will become law after negotiations between the EU parliament and member states.
