The European Union is weighing sweeping new restrictions on children’s and teenagers’ access to social media, including age limits, an outright ban, and phased access. Social media platforms could also be forced to prove their services are not harmful before young people are allowed to use them.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc’s executive arm could propose new legislation within months, after reviewing recommendations from a panel of experts released today. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about when social media can access our children,” von der Leyen said.
The panel recommended using a phased approach, including “no screens at all” for children under 3, supervised internet use for those under 13, and some limits for older teens. It also said social media platforms should have to prove their services are safe to younger users, an approach von der Leyen said she supports.
Von der Leyen said the Commission will consider the report and return with proposals “after the summer.” Any legislation would still need approval from the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 member countries before becoming law across the bloc. A formal proposal would add significant momentum to global efforts to curb children’s use of social media, joining a growing list of proposals or active regulations in countries including the UK and Australia.
New rules would also add significant pressure on platforms to demonstrate their services are safe to younger users. A preliminary investigation in the EU already found Meta to be in breach of its Digital Services Act last week over the “addictive” design of Facebook and Instagram. A similar finding was also issued against TikTok earlier this year.