European Union Plans to Ban Social Media for Children Under 13
Ursula von der Leyen announced a phased plan to ban social media for children under 13 and strengthen protection for other age groups.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday that the European Union intends to ban the use of social media by children under the age of 13, as part of a phased approach to strengthen the protection of children from the risks posed by digital platforms.
In her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, von der Leyen stated that the EU would adopt a “gradual” approach to setting protection levels according to age groups.
She clarified that the bloc plans to allow limited use of social media for those aged 13 to 15, under parental or guardian supervision, as part of the phased plan to enhance child protection.
She added, “Each age group has its own sensitivities, and therefore each age will have a tailored level of protection. No social media for those under 13. No personal accounts for those under 15.” She explained that this means that “from age 13 to under 15, only micro-accounts created and supervised by parents or guardians will be permitted, with limited features and time restrictions not exceeding one hour per day.” She further noted that “safe-by-design principles will be mandatory for platforms for users aged 15 to 18.” Von der Leyen emphasized that Europe “has the capacity to act,” stressing that “we set our own rules, not the big tech companies.”
She warned against accepting what she described as addictive design features in platform architecture, stating, “Platforms will have to prove that they are safe.”
She added, “This is not about whether minors can access social media, but about when and how social media is allowed to reach minors.”
Von der Leyen pointed out that the risks of addictive design are not limited to children, saying, “Addictive design, for example, harms everyone,” and noted that the EU needs additional rules in this area, which will be proposed next autumn.
Von der Leyen and EU Commissioner for Technology Henna Virkkunen are scheduled to formally present the proposed “Children’s Act” tomorrow, Thursday, which includes graduated age-based levels for social media use.
