French MPs vote to protect children from overexposure on social media
French MPs have adopted measures to protect the privacy of children online. Later on Tuesday, they are expected to vote on a text concerning the health risks linked to overexposure to screens by young people.
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MPs unanimously agreed on the bill on the image rights of minors, put forward by Bruno Studer (from Macron's Renaissance party) on Monday.
The text, which must now be examined by the Senate, aims to protect children from the excesses of certain parents exposing them without restraint, in particular on social networks.
It introduces the concept of "private life" of the child in the definition of parental authority of the civil code and specifies that the image rights of minors are exercised jointly by both parents.
In case of disagreement, a judge may prohibit one of them from publishing images of the child.
In serious cases, the way is open "to a forced delegation of parental authority", allowing a judge to entrust a third party with the exercise of the child's image rights.
This law aims to "empower parents", but also to show minors that "parents do not have an absolute right over their image," Studer argued.
Cyberharassment
According to figures quoted by parliamentarians, a child appears on average "in 1,300 photographs published online before the age of 13" and "50 percent of the photographs which are exchanged on child pornography forums had been initially published by parents on their social networks.
Associations denounce abuses, such as those of family "vlogs" (video blogs) kept by parents racing for "likes" by exposing their children, some in search of advertising revenue,sometimes with degrading staging.
Some images can lead to "cyberharassment" or "compromise their credibility for future school or professional applications", underlined the Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti who supported the text "with strength and conviction".
The deputies also began discussing a second text, put forward by another MP of the presidential camp, Caroline Janvier.
It is designed to make adults aware of the risks of excessive exposure of children up to 6 years old, an "evil of the century still largely underestimated by those around young children," Janvier said.
This bill provides for the inclusion in the public health code of risk training for health and early childhood professionals, and the insertion of prevention messages on the packaging of computers, tablets and telephones.
It also provides that early childhood structures and schools incorporate restrictive rules for the use of screens for supervisors.
The text also calls for the insertion of recommendations into the leaflets given to pregnant women and their partners.
Widespread phenomenon
Excess screen exposure is a "widespread phenomenon", with "increased risks of obesity", "sleep disorders" and "high blood pressure", Janvier has warned.
Far-left LFI and conservative LR deputies said the measures should be extended, but their amendments asking to ban tablets in places of reception of young children have so far been rejected.
Secretary of State in charge of Children, Charlotte Caubel said the text "makes it possible to raise awareness even more and even earlier of children and parents, in the services of Maternal and Child Protection (PMI), in schools or kindergartens, but also in outdoor centers or during extracurricular activities".
Last Thursday, the National Assembly voted on the obligation for TikTok, Snapchat or other Instagrams to verify the age of their users as well as the agreement parental for the registration of children under 15 years old.
"These various initiatives constitute a legal arsenal which will make it possible to complete the systems for protecting children online" Caubel said.
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