By 2024, manufacturers will have to add this functionality to the products they market in France, under penalty of sanctions.
The European Union is not the only one to get up to speed: the French government is also working on a number of digital-related files. After the battle waged by our regulators to block pornographic sites that do not sufficiently limit their access to minors, a new law for the protection of the latter has just been formalized.
Parental controls for everyone
On Twitter, Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for the Digital Transition, announced the publication in the Official Journal of these new regulations, proposed by MP Bruno Studer. It requires manufacturers of high-tech devices to systematically integrate a parental control tool, which should make it possible to limit Internet access to the youngest. The list of affected devices is quite broad, ranging, according to Mr. Barrot, “ from smartphones to game consoles “. The French government does not seem to want to forget anyone, and shows a real desire to help parents.
Indeed, while many devices and software are already equipped with parental control tools, such as Snapchat since last year, these are sometimes difficult to access. The law states that they must be made available ” easily accessible and understandable », and above all at no additional cost. Manufacturers will have some time to consider how to achieve this, as they have until July 2024 to comply with these new obligations.
A law that goes in the direction of history?
We cannot say that the reflections of the French government come out of nowhere, because digital has taken a gigantic place in our lives, and in those of the youngest. These are increasingly in contact with devices connected to the Internet and, according to many points of view, their protection becomes absolutely essential. At least, this is an opinion shared by our leaders.
And for the legislators, it is a question of enforcing this law well. Indeed, the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) will be responsible for controlling all devices placed on the French market. All the players will be concerned, and the legislative decree indicates at the same time: ” If, during an assessment, the agency finds that the terminal equipment does not comply with the technical specifications laid down, it gives formal notice to the economic operator concerned to take all the appropriate corrective measures to bring the equipment into conformity, remove it from the market or call them back within a period it determines. The sanctions will go as far as the application of fines.
We don’t know to what extent other countries will follow France’s example. However, we can hope that this is one more step to encourage digital players to get involved in the protection of minors.
Source : BFM TV
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