European Union: No social media for those under 13
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday that the European bloc intends to ban the use of social media by children under the age of 13 as part of a phased plan to enhance the protection of children from the risks posed by digital platforms.
In her annual State of the Union address before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, von der Leyen stated that the European Union will adopt a “phased” approach to defining protection levels according to age groups.
She explained that the bloc intends to allow those aged 13 to 15 to use social media in a limited manner and under the supervision of parents or guardians, within the framework of the phased plan to strengthen child protection.
She added, “Each age has its own sensitivities, and therefore each age will have a protection level designed specifically for it… No social media for those under 13… and no personal accounts for those under 15.”
She said this means that “from age 13 to under 15, only mini-accounts created and supervised by parents or guardians will be permitted, with limited features and time restrictions not exceeding one hour per day,” adding that “safe design will be mandatory for platforms for those aged 15 to 18.”
Von der Leyen affirmed that Europe “has the capacity to act,” emphasizing that “we decide our own rules, not the big tech companies.”
She warned against accepting what she described as the addictive features in platform design, stating, “Platforms will have to prove that they are safe.”
She added, “It is not about minors’ access to social media, but about when and how social media is allowed to access minors.”
Von der Leyen noted that the “risks of addictive design” are not limited to children, saying, “Addictive design, for example, harms everyone,” and clarified that the European Union needs more rules in this area, which will be proposed next autumn.
Von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Technology Henna Virkkunen are scheduled to formally present the (Children’s Act) proposal tomorrow, Thursday, which includes graduated age levels for the use of social media.
