Merz Risks Dispute With Trump Over Social-Media Ban for Minors

Chancellor Friedrich Merz threw his weight behind proposals to introduce a social-media ban for minors in Germany, risking tensions with the US ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump in two weeks.

Services including Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram and Facebook, Snap Inc., Elon Musk’s X and TikTok have come under growing scrutiny in Europe over potentially harmful and addictive content, setting the stage for a showdown with some of the biggest US providers.

Merz’s cabinet is expected to approve a joint proposal of his conservatives and their Social Democrat partners before the summer with the aim ...