Experts Doubt Andorra's Under-16 Social Media Ban Feasibility

Data protection experts and Andorra Telecom have raised significant doubts about the feasibility of the government's plan to ban social media access for under-16s, highlighting technical hurdles, privacy risks, and the need for broader international coordination.

The proposal, aligned with global efforts to limit minors' online exposure, faces challenges in enforcement. José Luis Torrecilla of Xpert consultancy suggested IP-based blocks at the telecom level, similar to restrictions on AI tools like Grok on Elon Musk's X platform. These could bar access to specific sites if a device is linked to someone under 16. However, VPNs that mask traffic as originating outside Andorra would easily circumvent them. "There will always be a way to get around it, depending on how resourceful the young people are," Torrecilla said, emphasizing constitutional privacy protections and the primacy of parental oversight over state intervention.

Jaume Díez of win2win advocated content filters and parental controls as a "more effective, reasonable, and less intrusive" option. Infrastructure-level blocks would require access to minors' personal data, which he described as precarious given their vulnerability and the high market value of such information to tech firms. "It will be very difficult, and there will always be a way to bypass the restriction," Díez said. Both experts noted AI's rapid advancement as a complicating factor, calling for digital education to foster critical thinking rather than relying solely on tech controls. Díez added that future policies must complement technology, as "controlling it will be complicated."

Andorra Telecom supports the initiative in principle but stressed implementation difficulties. Director General Jordi Nadal remarked: "It's great to say 'this harms my youth, so I ban it,' but then comes the hard part: how do we do it?" He pointed to the need for involvement from social media platforms, phone makers, operators, and users, potentially including biometric data via the digital wallet. Even existing minor-targeted eSIMs fall short, as Wi-Fi access bypasses mobile network controls. Nadal underscored reliance on EU frameworks to pressure multinationals, noting Andorra must prepare to align. The company already offers the voluntary Internet Protegit service, launched in September 2024, which filters harmful content like pornography, explicit violence, drug promotion, hacking, adult dating, gambling, cryptocurrencies, and cyberbullying. It covers 640 households and 1,653 mobile lines at €1 each for 3G, 4G, 5G, or home networks. Andorra Telecom called it "an extra layer of protection" against unlimited internet risks, drawing from regional studies and a UNICEF Andorra report on digital education needs.

Schools back the measure if it reduces vulnerabilities. Juan Ignacio Pérez, director of Col·legi Mare Janer, welcomed it to halt risky situations, noting a decline in major social media misuse but a shift to emerging platforms. He stressed ethical technology use training. Col·legi Sant Ermengol viewed it as essential protection against network threats, with public administrative guidance.