App move welcome

WHATSAPP has announced that European users now will have to be aged 16 to access its messaging service, a pre-emptive move before the introduction of the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation on May 25.

This matches the so-called ‘digital age of consent’ already in existence in many European countries. That is, the age at which users can sign up to apps without parental consent and the age at which the data of users can be ‘harvested’ to target them for advertising purposes.

Ireland has inexplicably set the digital age of consent at just 13, so it surely must be embarrassing that a huge tech company has gone a step further. It is a significant announcement, and one all other social media apps – including WhatsApp parent company Facebook – should copy.

We know that these platforms can induce serious psychological and emotional harm in children, and if all adopted this policy then there would be no need for any child under 16 to own a smartphone.

It remains to be seen how a user’s age will be verified: until now, social media firms have come up with laughable excuses for failing to do so. Logically, that responsibilty should rest squarely with the service provider, just as a barman is liable for serving drink to a child. For now, though, this is a welcome step towards a safer internet for the young and vulnerable.