The project requires explicit and verified parental consent for those aged 13–16, and for those under 13, it envisages strengthening the existing ban and tightening control. The document may also be amended before the final vote.
The authors of the project, Portugal's Social Democratic Party (PSD), explain this measure as protection from cyberbullying, harmful content, and predatory individuals. The Digital Mobile Key system is planned to be used to verify consent and check the user's age, and companies could face fines of up to 2% of their global revenue for non-compliance if they fail to implement a compatible age-verification mechanism.
The restrictions cover networks such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, but WhatsApp, which many parents use to communicate with their children, is mentioned as an exception. At the same time, Portugal's Socialist Party (PS) emphasizes that platforms must guarantee protective functions to reduce the impact of bullying, early sexual content, discriminatory games, and manipulated videos and images in environments accessible to 13–16 year olds.
