BRUSSELS, SEPT 16: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed a European Union-wide ban on social media use for children under 13, along with additional safeguards and access restrictions for teenagers.
The proposal, announced during her annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg, is aimed at strengthening protections for children and young people from potential online harms associated with platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Von der Leyen said the EU should not accept online services designed around addictive features or the exposure of children to increasingly extreme content. She also highlighted concerns over the misuse of young people’s images to create sexualised material using artificial intelligence.
Under the proposed framework, children aged 13 to 15 could be allowed to use specially restricted “mini accounts” supervised by parents or guardians. These accounts would include limits on certain features and the amount of time users could spend on the platforms.
For teenagers between 15 and 18, social media companies would be required to introduce what von der Leyen described as a “safe design” approach. The European Commission is expected to provide further details of the proposal on Thursday.
The initiative will need to be debated and approved by the EU’s 27 member states and could take considerable time before becoming law. It may also lead to further tensions with major US-based technology companies and policymakers who have criticised European technology regulations.
Italian European Parliament member Brando Benifei voiced support for the proposal, saying implementation would require confronting the interests of major technology platforms.
Major social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, already prohibit users below the age of 13 from opening accounts under their existing rules. However, regulators and authorities have raised concerns about the effectiveness of age restrictions and enforcement.
Digital rights advocates have also criticised the proposed age-based approach. Simeon de Brouwer of the European Digital Rights (EDRi) group argued that the proposal could postpone, rather than address, concerns surrounding platforms’ business models and engagement-driven design.
The proposal forms part of broader international efforts to strengthen online protections for children and regulate how young users interact with social media platforms.
