The figures are frightening: according to the Ministry of Health, at the age of 12, 1 child in 3 has already been exposed to pornographic content on the Internet. Problem: when it comes to protecting the youngest against these violent images, parents often come up against technical difficulties since parental control software is generally complex to master…
Good news: “within a few days”, a decree will make mandatory the presence of a control system on all devices connected to the internet – smartphones, computers, tablets… If the details of this “compulsory parental control” are still under discussion, the objective will be to “control the time spent on the screen but also the content visible or downloadable on the mobile Internet“explains Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition, interviewed by our colleagues from the Parisian.
No internet before 12 years old, no social networks before 13 years old
Very concretely, thanks to this parental control “Easy to install and use“according to the Minister, parents will be able to define time slots during which the device is usable or connected to the Internet. In addition, the nature of the content that can be consulted and the downloadable applications will be adjustable according to the age of the child (3 , 7, 12, 16 or 18 years old).The exact contours of this mandatory parental control should be defined by the end of the month.
Will this decree be enough to protect the youngest against the dangers of the web? We hope so. In the meantime, remember that experts recommend waiting until the age of 12 before allowing your child to access the internet (and under adult supervision only); social networks, meanwhile, are prohibited before the age of 13 by French law.
Source : The ParisianSaturday, September 3, 2022.
