The article Porn filters for operating systems: Federal states are tightening protection for minors by Fabian Peters first appeared on BASIC thinking. You can always stay up to date with our newsletter.
According to the reformed State Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media, providers of operating systems must in future ensure that they include a special “youth protection device”. The so-called porn filter “must be able to be activated, deactivated and adjusted in a simple, easily accessible and secure manner”.
Whether pornography, depictions of violence or hatred and incitement: in the future, providers of operating systems will have to guarantee that they contain a “child protection device”. The heads of government of the federal states said this at the Prime Minister’s Conference on
Decided in Berlin on December 12, 2024.
With the reformed youth media protection state treaty (JMStV) entails additional obligations for operating system developers. Users who switch on a smartphone or computer for the first time in the future will therefore have to make certain settings for child protection.
Porn filter: Federal states reform the state treaty on the protection of minors in the media
A corresponding youth protection filter should also be designed in such a way that it can be “activated, deactivated and adjusted in a simple, easily accessible and secure manner”. Parents should have the opportunity to make settings for different age groups.
According to the draft, devices must then automatically put themselves in an appropriate parental protection mode. Age labeling is also to be introduced for websites and apps. At the operating system level, providers must ensure that “only apps can be used that correspond to the age stated or that have been activated individually and in a secure manner”.
The installation of applications should only be possible via platforms that take age ratings into account. Internet browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome or Firefox should only be usable if they have “a secure search function”.
The reformed State Treaty on Youth Media Protection will only come into force after all state parliaments have given their consent. According to the Prime Minister’s Conference, this is expected to be the case by mid-March 2025. However, it is still unclear by when providers have to integrate porn and youth protection filters into their operating systems.
Child protection device: Many questions remain unanswered
Further questions are also open. In the summer of 2024, the European Commission expressed concerns because part of the State Treaty on Youth Media Protection may not be compatible with the Digital Services Act (DSA). It is not yet clear whether and how this problem will or needs to be solved.
The current draft does not impose an obligation that apps or websites should be provided with age information that must be recognizable by operating systems. However, if you do not mark content, you may have to expect that it will not be displayed if child protection is active.
Meanwhile, age classifications that “indicate clearly perceptible markings at the beginning of the offer” are causing controversy. According to critics, labeling unproblematic content violates the principle of protecting minors in the media. They also have no added value.
It remains to be seen whether the planned parental controls in operating systems will have the desired effect. According to experts, legal guardians theoretically already have access to technical aids. These are just not known. However, in contrast to a uniform filter in the operating system, individual settings for websites and apps involve a lot of effort.
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The article Porn filters for operating systems: Federal states tighten youth protection by Fabian Peters first appeared on BASIC thinking. Follow us too Google News and Flipboard.
As a tech industry expert, I believe that the implementation of porn filters for operating systems is a step in the right direction to protect young people from inappropriate content online. With the increasing accessibility of internet and technology, it is important for governments to take measures to ensure that minors are not exposed to harmful material.
However, there are challenges in implementing these filters effectively. It is crucial for the filters to be constantly updated and refined to accurately block explicit content without mistakenly censoring harmless material. Additionally, there is a debate over the effectiveness of filters in actually preventing young people from accessing pornographic content, as tech-savvy individuals may find ways to bypass the filters.
Overall, while the intention behind implementing porn filters is commendable, it is important for governments to work closely with tech companies and experts to develop comprehensive solutions that prioritize both youth protection and user privacy. It is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach to ensure that minors are safeguarded without infringing on the rights of adults.
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