Slovakia’s Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization plans a new law to protect minors in public and digital spaces. An expert working group will be set up, and the draft should enter interdepartmental review next spring, with early effectiveness targeted. Minister Samuel Migaľ (SMER-SD nominee) said the state will coordinate all related activities, launch a grant scheme for NGOs, run an awareness campaign and prepare what he described as a “non-ideological” law inspired by foreign practice and without increasing budgets.
The legislation is expected to address user identification on social networks, with a focus on preventing identity misuse and deepfake risks. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner welcomed the move. Commissioner Jozef Mikloško cited foreign studies showing clear mental-health risks from excessive online time, noting warnings from Italian paediatricians about rising depression and addiction, with signs of severe dependency among roughly a quarter of children.
The Education Ministry also appreciated the initiative but said media announcements are not enough, calling for coordinated steps from legislation to effective age-verification tools. Opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS) argued that child protection must be part of an EU-coordinated regulatory framework. Deputy chair Zora Jaurová (PS) criticised what she called unclear government steps, adding that several useful tools already exist under the Media Services Council and EU digital-services rules.
Source: STVR, TASR
