EU MOVES TO LIMIT CHILDREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS

The European Union will implement restrictions on young children's access to social media across its 27-member states, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen presented a paper from two experts recommending a tiered approach to age restrictions on platforms. Children under 13 would be permitted to use social media only for limited periods under supervision by parents, caregivers and teachers, with restrictions gradually lifted as teenagers aged. Von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels that "age-appropriate restrictions to platforms" were necessary and that the question was no longer whether children face risks online, but how to ensure safer access.

The Commission is expected to present a concrete proposal after summer, with an announcement anticipated at von der Leyen's state of the union address in September. The initiative would represent the EU's largest effort to date to protect children from online dangers. Australia, Britain, China, India and the United States have already imposed social media bans or are considering them, primarily targeting TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook. Von der Leyen stated that evidence indicated social media platforms, alongside other providers with age-inappropriate and addictive features, posed particular risks to children.

The social media companies involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment when contacted. Major platforms have previously stated they employ measures to protect younger users and have already imposed age restrictions on their services. The EU proposal follows what von der Leyen described as a worrying report on online risks facing children across the bloc.