Mandatory passage through parental controls for new connected objects

© CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Archives

Following the Studer law passed in March 2022, manufacturers of connected equipment have been required since July 13 to market products that comply with the new regulations in force. Each device connected to the Internet must in fact offer a parental control feature as soon as it is put into service, in order to protect minors.

In order to draw parents' attention to this feature, smartphones, tablets and computers must present the device when they are first used . A device that must be “free, easily accessible and understandable”.

Two minimum restrictions must be included. The first, to ensure the blocking of downloads and access “to certain content likely to harm the physical, mental or moral development of minors”. The second, “to block access to pre-installed content and falling within the same categories of content indicated above.” This information is currently vague and will merit specific supervision in order to avoid repeating the same sword strokes in the water.

However, the classics that we instantly think of with such measures would be affected, namely, as Le Figaro points out, “pornographic, violent, hateful content or content that incites the use of alcohol or narcotics.”

In the interests of data protection, manufacturers must also guarantee that the collection and processing of minors' personal data for commercial purposes is prohibited.

This law, supported by Bruno Studer of the Renaissance party and supported by the government, aims to make a feature more accessible that until now required daring to venture into the settings of devices. A sometimes complex manipulation, especially for people who are not always comfortable handling these objects.

Retaliatory measures could include the outright withdrawal of products from the market, a product recall or a fine. We can already consider that this last option will be preferred.

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