The broadcasting commission of the federal states has decided on the draft for the amendment to the youth media protection state treaty, for which there should be an online consultation after Easter.

The current state treaty came into force in 2016 and was amended in 2020.

The core of the draft is a technical solution that is easy to use for legal guardians and should offer a safe mechanism to protect their children: The device manufacturers are obliged to install a "Child Mode" button on smartphones or tablets, which, like the WLAN, or can be turned off.

This setting is intended to interact with the apps that are on the device or will be installed later.

During or after commissioning a device, the user should be prompted by his operating system

As Oliver Schenk, head of the Saxon State Chancellery, explains, the current regulation is no longer sufficient for the digital age.

The Youth Media Protection State Treaty has so far been aimed in particular at content providers and provides for a wide range of measures for broadcasting and telemedia, graded according to risk.

A number of tools were developed in the media industry for this purpose, but they only worked within the respective system.

According to Schenk, the protection systems currently available are relatively difficult to find or set up.

They also did not take into account the age ratings and protective measures of the providers.

The state treaty should therefore not only apply to the content of radio and telemedia, but also to operating systems.

These include operating systems

that control the basic functions of the hardware or software, apps and search engines.

In the future, it must be possible to set an age level in the corresponding technical device.

In France, a law is to be passed this year that will oblige device manufacturers to set up an easy-to-use youth protection system.

According to Oliver Schenk, the federal states included the companies in their considerations at an early stage and also took note of their technical expertise.

Each provider remains responsible for implementation.

The device manufacturers would have to consider the button for the child mode and the app developers would have to ensure the communication between the device and the app via an update.

The state media authorities are to check the effectiveness of the new protection mechanism through the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM).

There has been a dispute between the federal states and the federal government for years about effective youth media protection.

The federal states have constitutional competence to regulate the handling of content relevant to the protection of minors and to protect minors on television, the Internet and online games.

The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs is responsible for certain aspects of telemedia.

Last year, the federal government passed a new law for the protection of minors, which met with criticism from the federal states and associations.

According to Schenk, the federal states take a critical view of the activities of the federal government in the field of youth protection, since their involvement in the most recent amendment to the Youth Protection Act was insufficient.

Important aspects have not been considered - such as the technical protection of minors in the media.

"'Well meant isn't always well done,' as the saying goes," says Schenk.

The federal states also consider the federal government's decision to create its own authority to be wrong.

Of course, the KJM must also gain experience and try out new paths.

In the almost twenty years of its existence, however, it has proven that it is capable of doing this.