The European Union is considering a bloc-wide restriction that would prevent children under 13 from using social media platforms, while introducing additional safeguards for teenagers between 13 and 18.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal Wednesday during her annual State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg. The plan is aimed at addressing concerns about addictive platform features, harmful content and the misuse of artificial intelligence to create sexualized images of young people.
Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 15 could use “mini accounts” supervised by their guardians. These accounts would come with restrictions on available features and the amount of time children could spend on social media platforms.
For teenagers aged 15 to 18, social media companies would be required to provide what von der Leyen described as a “safe design.” Further details of the proposed measures are expected to be released Thursday.
The proposal would need to be debated and approved by the EU’s 27 member states before becoming law. The process could take years and may also create further tensions between the European Union and major U.S. technology companies.
Social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok already generally prohibit children under 13 from creating accounts. However, European authorities have accused companies of failing to effectively prevent younger children from accessing their services.
The proposal has received support from some members of the European Parliament. Italian lawmaker Brando Benifei said the EU should be prepared to confront major technology companies over the issue.
Digital rights groups, however, have raised concerns that an age-based restriction could delay children’s exposure to online risks without addressing the underlying business practices of social media platforms. EDRi policy adviser Simeon de Brouwer argued that platforms’ use of engagement-driven content and advertising remains a fundamental issue.
The EU proposal comes as governments around the world consider stronger rules for children’s social media use. Countries including Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal have introduced or proposed restrictions, while France’s effort to ban social media access for children under 15 recently faced a legal setback.
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Von der Leyen also addressed concerns surrounding artificial intelligence during her speech. She said the European Commission would discuss measures with leading AI companies to slow down aspects of advanced AI development and work with partners including Canada and Britain on model evaluation, verification, early-warning systems and AI security.
EU Proposes Social Media Ban for Children Under 13
