Fines on parents: Plans to tighten children's presence on the internet
The Assistant Minister for Social Affairs, Jürgen Nobel, announced before the Dutch Parliament plans to tighten laws regarding the protection of children who appear in family vlogs or have their own fan base online.
Nobel said that what is known as "kidfluencers" – children who regularly appear in video content and photos on platforms like YouTube and Instagram – have become increasingly popular, making it difficult to ensure that families comply with child labor laws.
The minister from the VVD party confirmed that children "should not be a model for profit," pointing out that awareness alone is not enough, and that the government is working to tighten the rules and increase the financial penalties imposed on violators.
The Netherlands is home to several famous families in the vlogging field, such as "De Zoete Zusjes" (the Sweet Sisters) and the "Lakap Family", each having around a million subscribers.
According to current laws, parents or guardians whose children earn money online must obtain an exemption from the labor inspectorate, but the minister pointed out that enforcing this law is difficult due to the unclear distinction between hobby and work.
Nobel calls for higher fines for parents who violate the laws. Last April, the BOOS channel on YouTube aired a report about family vlogs, where some experts described the use of children in this type of content as a form of abuse, as children are often too young to make the decision to appear in front of the camera.