Brussels, Belgium. The European Union will move to limit young children’s access to social media across its 27 member states, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.
She presented recommendations for a tiered approach that would allow children under 13 limited, supervised access to social media, with restrictions gradually lifted as teenagers get older.
Proposed approach
The recommendations were prepared by two experts and call for children under 13 to use social media only for limited periods under the supervision of parents, caregivers and teachers.
“It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms,” von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
“The question is no longer if children face risks online, but what can we do to give children a safer start online,” she said.
Next steps
Von der Leyen indicated that she was likely to follow the experts’ proposals. The European Commission is expected to present a concrete proposal after the summer, with an announcement anticipated during her State of the Union address in September.
She said the measures would initially focus on social media platforms and other providers that have age-inappropriate and addictive features.
“We first need to consider the type of platforms that are harmful to our children. The evidence shows that this is mainly social media platforms, but also other providers with age-inappropriate and addictive features. So think of it as social media plus,” von der Leyen said.
“And when we have this clearly defined category, I believe we need to consider phased and gradual access for different age ranges,” she added.
International measures
Australia, Britain, China, India and the United States have already imposed or are considering social media bans, mainly targeting TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.
The companies did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Social media platforms have said they have measures to protect younger users, and many already impose age restrictions.