Stricter rules are needed to protect children who feature in family vlogs or who have their own online following, junior minister for social affairs Jurgen Nobel told parliament on Thursday.

So-called kidfluencers – children who regularly appear in video content and photos on social media sites like YouTube and Instagram – are increasingly popular online. According to Nobel, it is difficult to ensure families are adhere to child labour regulations.

“Children should not be a profit model. Better information is necessary, but not sufficient. That is why we are tightening the rules and we are working on higher fines,” the VVD minister said in a statement.

The Netherlands is home to several popular family vloggers. For example, De Zoete Zusjes (The Sweet Sisters) and the Lakap family each have nearly one million subscribers.

Currently, the parents or guardians of children who earn money from content must apply for an exemption from the Labour Inspectorate. According to the minister, this is difficult to enforce as there is not always a clear line between a hobby and work.

Nobel is calling for higher fines for parents who break the rules.

In April, Youtube channel BOOS featured a segment about family vloggers. Some child experts argued that using children in vlogs was akin to child abuse because they are too young to consent to appear on camera.