European Union proposes new law to protect children from the harms of social media

The European Union’s spokesperson, Olof Gill, said on Monday that the EU will propose a new law next Thursday aimed at protecting children from the harms caused by social media, following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement that she would unveil an age limit for minors’ access to these platforms.

Gill told journalists at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels that President von der Leyen and EU Commissioner for Technology Henna Virkkunen will present the “Children’s Act” next Thursday during a plenary session of the European Parliament on the impact of social media on children.

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

The European Commission is considering 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 effects of social media on children’s mental and physical health.