Baume-Schneider wants night-time limits on young people’s social media use

Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider says Switzerland should consider restricting young people’s access to social media, including at night. She told broadcaster SRF that the measures proposed by the Federal Council do not go far enough.

The government this week changed course on child protection rules for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. It now plans to ban personalised advertising aimed at minors and require platforms to assess and reduce risks their services pose to them.

Baume-Schneider said social media can be addictive and threaten young people’s mental health. She said society cannot simply leave the matter to parents, and that she could imagine preventing children and teenagers from scrolling on social media during night-time hours.

She pointed to China as a possible model for some protections. Baume-Schneider said children up to the age of seven or eight cannot use social media there, while teenagers are required to take breaks.

She also referred to the proposed EU Kids Act, which would generally bar children under 13 from social media, while allowing parents to give them access to certain child-friendly services. Under the proposal, 13- to 15-year-olds could access age-appropriate content through their parents’ accounts.

Baume-Schneider is sceptical of setting a general minimum age, saying social media can also be important for young people. The Federal Council has left the door open to further measures. Media Minister Albert Rösti and Baume-Schneider are to assess by next summer whether additional steps are needed.