Filenews 8 December 2025 - by Ioanna Kyriakou
On Wednesday, 26 November, MEPs approved by an overwhelming majority – 483 votes in favour, 92 against and 86 abstentions – a non-legislative resolution in which they express serious concerns about the risks that threaten the physical and mental health of children and adolescents online. They called for stronger protection against manipulative practices that can increase addiction, make it difficult to concentrate and hinder healthy use of the internet, and called on the EU to set a minimum age of 16, following the example of Australia, which was the first to implement a total ban on use for people in this age group.
In Europe, countries such as France, Germany and Italy have already introduced stricter rules with parental consent and age limits. In Cyprus, the way was opened in October 2025, when the country joined the European Union's pilot project aimed at electronic verification of a person's age (Age Verification) online. It is a modern mechanism, which at the same time provides for the necessary protection of personal data and privacy of each individual.
Thoughts on the "blockade"
So how can age verification online be implemented in practice? The above mechanism, on its own, is not sufficient and should be integrated into an appropriate digital identity solution. This was reported to "F" by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, which explained that the verification is achieved through the interconnection with the national population registry systems of each state, and by integrating this mechanism into a national application. In our case, the "Digital Citizen" application. In fact, the use of the mechanism is not limited to social media, but can be used in all digital environments, platforms and markets, where age verification is required before providing any online service.
More specifically, the European mechanism provides for verification to be carried out through the user's mobile phone. Digital services can be accessed from any device; However, in order to be allowed to use them, the verification via the mobile phone must have been completed beforehand. The goal of the system is for the process to remain simple, fast and user-friendly. The Deputy Ministry is already working on the technical details for the implementation of this solution at the national level, while actively participating in the critical discussions taking place on the issue at the European level, submitting together with a significant number of other Member States proposals to the European Commission regarding the response to the growing online threats to minors. From exposure to harmful content, to addiction and excessive screen time, and in particular to the adoption of an EU-wide digital age limit for access to social media. Cyprus is the 6th Member State to join the pilot programme for the implementation of the Age Verification Mechanism, along with France, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain.
What applies today and the responsibility of companies
Today, on most social networks, the user is asked to certify his age, providing basic evidence such as date of birth. This information can easily be circumvented or falsely stated. Therefore, the Deputy Ministry recognizes that no technological or regulatory regulation alone is enough, but collective responsibility and the cooperation of digital platforms are needed. He clarifies that in order for the age verification mechanism to be effective, as well as any other measure, online platforms should themselves provide for reliable age verification of all their users, and not be satisfied with "self-declaration" as is currently the case. This translates into a technical interconnection of the above mechanism, within these online platforms, so that they receive the state-confirmed age of each person interacting with these spaces.
Conclusions and timeline
The first comprehensive conclusions from Cyprus' participation in the EU pilot program are expected within the first half of 2026, when the Deputy Ministry will have completed the technical specifications and will be able to integrate the mechanism into the "Digital Citizen" application. Although no specific timeline has yet been set, many countries – including Cyprus – have already expressed a clear commitment and willingness to move forward. Already, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has convened a committee of experts to examine the issue. Cyprus has even set the issue of the protection of minors as a key priority of the upcoming Cyprus Presidency, in order to maintain the momentum and to proceed practically with the discussion as soon as possible. At the center of the discussions are: the mandatory implementation of age verification mechanisms, such as the pilot program in which we have joined, but also the establishment of a digital adulthood limit for the use of digital platforms and services.
Social Disorders and Mental Disorders
The introduction of an age criterion can work protectively, but it alone does not solve the problem and may have the opposite effect, especially when the control cannot be applied correctly, Dimitra Nikolaou Anastasiou, an educational psychologist at the Ministry of Education, pointed out to "F". However, he expressed the position that it can be a useful "crutch" for the parent, to convey to the child – and to adults – clearly that Social Media needs boundaries and is not a space of free access.
Research shows that very early and uncontrolled exposure to social networks is associated with sleep deprivation, concentration difficulties and intense social comparison. But, as he notes, the available scientific data does not support that social media alone causes mental disorders. Meta-analyses show a small effect, while the really serious risk factors are others: neglect, abuse, family difficulties, inequalities, financial pressure and the absence of stable support structures. "An age limit can certainly help, but it is not a substitute for the fixed and consistent work of the parent: setting boundaries early on, cultivating a relationship, supervising and guiding. Social media do not cause mental disorders – the relationship does not seem to be causal – but they affect to a large extent where there is fertile ground, meaning children who are vulnerable. Social media can act as a "gap-filling" mechanism when real relationships, values and meanings are missing in the child's life. When the child feels that he is seen, heard and that he belongs, he does not need to build substitute relationships within social networks," she explains.
"We see children who spend the whole day on weekends in social media. This is not because of the apps themselves, but because of the absence of boundaries, structure and meaningful connection in everyday life. And, indeed, a parent who works all day to ensure the basics often finds it difficult to connect firmly and calmly with their child as well as set boundaries. Boundaries need monolithic adherence, the parent/guardian will not say it once and it will happen. This makes it even more necessary for a support system – from state institutions – that helps parents maintain the relationship, structure and presence that the child needs, so that social media do not become a substitute for real life and have so much influence."
The danger of a blanket ban
When asked if safety clauses are more effective than a total ban, the educational psychologist answered in the affirmative, saying that they are more realistic when the ban cannot be properly enforced. "Young people often find ways to bypass age control, create fake accounts or use other devices. When a ban doesn't work, the result is worse: children continue to use, but now secretly, avoid sharing risks and are left completely alone in dangerous situations, such as cyberbullying, harassment, photo blackmail, exposure to harmful content, dangerous 'challenges' and misinformation." Australia, he continues, has opted for a ban under 16, but at the same time is implementing a combination of measures: stricter age verification by platforms and long-term research into how children's mental health is affected. This shows that no ban is effective without a supportive framework, monitoring and without other actions together.
Digital literacy is a complex issue
Educational psychologists in schools, according to Ms. Nikolaou, see children with incomplete digital literacy getting involved in dangerous situations: circulation of personal photos, belief in false information, participation in unsafe online "challenges" and inability to recognize risks. Of course, he adds, these are also linked to other psychological characteristics of the child and not just to the use of technology. In Cyprus, he underlines, digital literacy is not sufficient – not because there is no effort, but because the subject is extremely complex. It includes privacy settings, privacy, misinformation identification, cyberbullying management, in-app security, risk understanding, and more. Technology is evolving very quickly and adaptation is difficult, especially for parents who are not familiar with digital platforms or are digitally illiterate and, as he claims, there are quite a few.
"The state and institutions need and must provide tools and support means to parents so that they can exercise their parenthood effectively. The issue is not the existence of social media, it is how and in what conditions children use them as well as many other variables that coexist together: the duration and frequency of social media, the quality of relationships at home, the mental resilience of the child, the values, limits and meaning that exists or does not exist in their lives, etc."
