Law to Protect European Children from the Harms of Social Media

Brussels, KUNA – The European Union will propose a new law next Thursday aimed at protecting children from the harms caused by social media, following the announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of her intention to reveal an age limit for minors’ access to these platforms.

Speaking to journalists at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, EU spokesperson Olof Gill said that President von der Leyen and EU Commissioner for Technology Henna Virkkunen will present the “Children of the EU” law next Thursday during a plenary session of the European Parliament on the impact of social media on children.

Von der Leyen is expected to affirm that social media platforms used by children should be “safe by design,” meaning they should not be designed in a way that encourages addiction, and features that promote excessive use should be removed.

The European Commission is considering the possibility of completely banning children under the age of 13 from accessing social media, as recommended by a panel of experts, or raising the age limit to 15.

These moves come amid growing concerns from governments and experts about the negative impacts of social media on children’s mental and physical health.