WhatsApp forbidden to children under 16 in the EU: in reality nothing changes

The new privacy law of the European Union sets new rules for websites, content and messaging platforms. And WhatsApp warns: stop at the age of 16, but it’s just a formality.
In response to the so-called GDPR, the new general regulation on data protection of the European Union, the companies operating in IT have adjusted by imposing new posts, and one above all is being discussed at this time. The minimum age to use WhatsApp will be 13 years, 16 with parental permission. Just read the new Terms of Service:

If you live in a country in the European Region you must be at least 16 years old to use our services, or the age required by your country to register or use our services. If you live in a country of any other country, except those of the European Region, you must instead be at least 13 years of age or the age required by your country to use our services.

Therefore, those under the age of 13 could not access the platform; who has between 13 and 16 could do so with the consent of the legal guardian. But in reality, there is no way to actually verify that the information entered at registration is true; an email address or a social page, after all, could belong to anyone, and the phone’s SIM is already registered to an adult who pays the top up.

The reality is that today, according to the data of Telefono Azzurro / Doxa in 2017 more than 70% of under 13 uses daily WhatsApp for their communications, and over 44% mind on age to be able to sign up for Facebook. So we are talking about a regulation that is difficult to implement, which goes against established habits and which is impossible to verify: practically an (admirable) letter of intent but with little practical effects.

In the end, the only real barrier to violating the privacy of minors is constituted by parents, a good relationship between the two parties, and above all by a generous dose of parental controls.