A bill seeks to require manufacturers of digital products to systematically install parental control software on all devices used by children. One way to fight cyberbullying and exposure to pornography.
How to tackle cyber-harassment and the exposure of children to online pornography? Two years ago, in 2019, Emmanuel Macron made a promise. The head of state had proposed to automate parental controls by default on all digital devices used by children. Thursday, November 18, 2021, in a video posted on social media on the occasion of the national day against school bullying, the President of the Republic reiterated this wish and brought, de facto, his support, to a bill recently tabled by Bruno Studer, LREM deputy from Bas-Rhin.
This text provides in particular for the installation by default – but not the activation by default – of parental control software on all digital devices used by children and adolescents, namely smartphones, computers, tablets. digital and game consoles. Article 1er of the proposed law provides “the obligation for manufacturers to install a parental control system and to offer the user its activation when the device is put into service for the first time”, with a view to harmonizing the various tools made available for “guaranteeing the same quality standard for all households”. The objective being that “the equipment or services allowing access to the Internet are the subject of reinforced obligations in order to make more systematic, simple and user-friendly the use by the parents of the control devices”. It would belong to theANFR (National Frequency Agency) to monitor compliance with this constraint by manufacturers. Concretely, parental control software would thus be installed by default on all digital devices and devices covered by the proposed law, but it would still be up to parents to decide whether or not to activate these solutions to protect their children. The parliamentary calendar being what it is, the text tabled by the deputy could be examined and then adopted by the National Assembly at the earliest at the end of February 2022.
Ban smartphones before 15 years?
Regarding the exposure of children to pornographic, violent and frankly toxic content for their education, but also to fight against cyber-harassment, Justine Atlan, president of the association e-Enfance, recently proposed on the occasion of the program broadcast on November 19 by France 2, “An idea for France”, “to ban smartphones to under 15s “. The association currently manages 3018, the national number against digital violence. Free, anonymous and confidential, this number is accessible by phone, by live chat on 3018.fr as well as by Messenger and WhatsApp.
On the subject of cyber-bullying, closely linked to school bullying, two phenomena that may have more than dramatic consequences, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron also announced a series of measures so that, in his own words, “shame changes sides”. “We are going to strengthen the homes for adolescents, the reception centers for young people, the physical places with people who are there to hear and listen throughout the territory”. The head of state also indicated “that in addition to the number 3018 set up, a 3018 app will be launched in February to allow victims and witnesses to send a screenshot of harassment situations so that they are even better supported”. Finally, to help the children “to make better use of digital technology”, Emmanuel Macron announced the launch of a “experiment by delivering digital awareness certification to 6-year-oldse from the start of the 2022 school year, with the idea, then, of generalizing from the following start of the school year “. According to a study conducted by the Caisse d’Épargne, in collaboration with the e-Enfance association recently revealed that 20% of children aged 8 to 18 have already been the victim of cyber-bullying.