Germany
Germany requires providers of pornographic content in telemedia (internet services) to restrict access to a closed user group of verified adults under Section 4(2) of the Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag (JMStV, Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media), enforced by the Kommission fuer Jugendmedienschutz (KJM, Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media). The 2021 amendment to the Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG, Youth Protection Act) created the Bundeszentrale fuer Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz (BzKJ, Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media) and requires, under Section 24a, that platforms accessible to minors adopt structural precautions such as reporting tools, parental controls, and age aware default settings. The Sechster Medienaenderungsstaatsvertrag (Sixth Interstate Treaty Amending Media Law Treaties), in force since 1 December 2025, added Sections 12 to 12b JMStV, a device level mandate requiring operating systems commonly used by minors to ship a one button youth protection device (Jugendschutzvorrichtung) with an age setting that app distribution platforms and apps must respect; those duties phase in one year after the KJM designates the covered operating systems (designation due by 1 December 2026), so at the latest from 1 December 2027 for current systems. App and game age labeling through USK.online remains an industry self regulation system operating under JuSchG authority rather than a binding app store verification law.
National jurisdiction. Reviewed 2026-07-15.
Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag (JMStV, Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media), Section 4(2)
Prohibits offering pornographic content in telemedia unless the provider ensures the content is accessible only to adults through a closed user group (geschlossene Benutzergruppe), typically verified by an age verification system (Altersverifikationssystem) assessed against KJM criteria.
- Citation
- JMStV Sec. 4(2), consolidated text in force 2025-12-01
- Status
- In force
- Effective date
- 2003-04-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- gov id, digital id, third party service
- Covered services
- Telemedia (internet) services distributing pornographic content to users in Germany
- Penalties
- Administrative fines (Ordnungswidrigkeit) of up to 500,000 euros and orders to block or restrict noncompliant offerings
- Enforcement body
- Kommission fuer Jugendmedienschutz (KJM) and the Landesmedienanstalten (state media authorities)
- Private right of action
- no
- Source
- JMStV Sec. 4(2), consolidated text in force 2025-12-01
Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG, Youth Protection Act), Section 24a, Vorsorgemassnahmen (provider precautionary measures)
Requires providers of platforms accessible to children and teenagers to implement structural precautions: an accessible reporting and remedy procedure, easily findable references to independent counselling and help services, technical tools for parental control, and default settings that limit usage risk with regard to age. Enforced by the BzKJ, the federal agency created by the same 2021 amendment that also replaced the former Bundespruefstelle fuer jugendgefaehrdende Medien (BPjM, Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Young Persons).
- Citation
- JuSchG Sec. 24a
- Status
- In force
- Effective date
- 2021-05-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Covered services
- Online platforms, apps, and games accessible to children and teenagers in Germany
- Penalties
- Administrative fines under the JuSchG for providers that fail to implement required precautionary measures
- Enforcement body
- Bundeszentrale fuer Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz (BzKJ)
- Private right of action
- no
- Source
- JuSchG Sec. 24a
Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag (JMStV, Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media), Sections 12-12b, operating system youth protection device (Jugendschutzvorrichtung)
Requires providers of operating systems commonly used by children and adolescents, as determined by the KJM, to equip their systems with a youth protection device (Jugendschutzvorrichtung) that can be activated, deactivated and adjusted in a simple, easily accessible and secured way and in which a child's age can be set. Once an age is set, the operating system must restrict browsing to search engines with a secured search function, allow app installation only from distribution platforms whose apps carry a machine readable age label from a KJM recognized automated rating system, and make only age appropriate apps usable unless individually unlocked by the parent. Under Section 25 these duties apply one year after the KJM publishes its determination of the covered operating systems, which is itself due within one year of the treaty's 1 December 2025 entry into force, so at the latest from 1 December 2027, extended to at most three years for operating systems in a current or completed production cycle, with non updatable systems on devices already sold exempt.
- Citation
- JMStV Secs. 12, 12a and 12b, inserted by the Sechster Medienaenderungsstaatsvertrag (Sixth Interstate Treaty Amending Media Law Treaties), treaty in force 2025-12-01; transition rules in JMStV Sec. 25
- Status
- Enacted, not yet in force
- Effective date
- Not yet effective
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Verification methods
- device signal, parental consent
- Covered services
- Operating systems of end devices (smartphones, consoles, smart TVs and other devices enabling access to telemedia) commonly used by children and adolescents in Germany, plus the app distribution platforms and apps that must read and respect the device age setting
- Penalties
- Administrative fines (Ordnungswidrigkeit) of up to 2,000,000 euros for providing an operating system without a compliant youth protection device (JMStV Sec. 24(1) nos. 11-24 and Sec. 24(3))
- Enforcement body
- Kommission fuer Jugendmedienschutz (KJM) and the Landesmedienanstalten (state media authorities)
- Private right of action
- no
- Source
- JMStV Secs. 12, 12a and 12b, inserted by the Sechster Medienaenderungsstaatsvertrag (Sixth Interstate Treaty Amending Media Law Treaties), treaty in force 2025-12-01; transition rules in JMStV Sec. 25
Reviewed 2026-07-15. Confidence: high. Fast-moving area, verify before relying. Not legal advice.