EU to ban children from social media – how it will work
- The European Union is set to introduce significant measures to limit young children‘s access to social media across its 27 member states, aiming to protect them from online dangers.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented expert recommendations for a tiered approach, suggesting that under-13s should only use social media for limited periods under the supervision of parents, caregivers, and teachers, with restrictions gradually easing for older teenagers.
- Von der Leyen stressed the necessity of age-appropriate platform restrictions, indicating that a concrete proposal would be presented after the summer, with an expected announcement at her state of the union address in September.
- This move aligns with actions or considerations by other nations, including Australia, Britain, China, India, and the United States, which are also looking to impose social media bans, primarily targeting platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.
- The UK is separately planning to implement a ban on certain social media for under-16s by spring, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall noting that the use of ‘highly effective age-verification measures’ would make the British system more robust.
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