Brussels, July 13 (SANA) The European Union is preparing to impose restrictions on children’s access to social media platforms across its 27 member states, aiming to create a safer digital environment and limit the risks of the digital space for minors, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Monday.
The Commission will adopt recommendations and a legislative proposal after the summer, to be officially announced in September, based on a phased access system by age group, according to von der Leyen’s statement on the Commission’s X account.
The proposal would allow children under 13 to use platforms for limited periods under parental or teacher supervision, with restrictions gradually easing as they grow older, she said.
Expert panel recommendations
The announcement follows an expert panel report, commissioned by von der Leyen in April and delivered Monday, which recommended that children under 13 should only be allowed to use social media and other online platforms supervised by parents or teachers.
The panel, co-chaired by German child psychiatrist Jörg Fegert and French epidemiologist Maria Melchior, recommended no screens at all for babies and toddlers; supervised use of “age-appropriate social media” and devices for children aged three to 12; and “evolving autonomous use” of social media and other digital platforms with “key safety features” for those aged 13 to 18.
“What we already have is a consensus that there needs to be a start date for the age children can join social media,” von der Leyen said, calling for “age-appropriate restrictions”. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about when social media can access our children”.
Broader scope beyond social media
The oversight will not be limited to traditional social networks but will also extend to digital services deemed age-inappropriate or having addictive characteristics, classified under the category of “social media plus,” she said. This would include platforms using similar features such as video games or AI chatbots.
Divisions among member states
The panel did not recommend a blanket ban on digital platforms, and von der Leyen did not support such a move, noting that Australia’s ban faced difficulties as children found ways around the limits.
Divisions remain among EU member states over the age limit, with countries such as France proposing a ban for under-15s, Spain for under-16s and Greece for under-15s starting January 2027, while Estonia opposes a ban altogether. The European Parliament had previously called for a ban on social media for children under 16.
“The EU must introduce protective measures to ensure the safety of children and adolescents in the digital world,” said Maria Melchior, the panel’s co-chair.
The push for EU-wide rules follows a wave of national initiatives across Europe to restrict children’s access to social media. In November 2025, the European Parliament called for a ban on social media for children under 16.
The EU’s Digital Services Act, which applies in full since February 2024, introduced harmonized rules requiring platforms accessible to minors to implement appropriate measures to ensure their privacy, safety and security.
In July 2025, the Commission published guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA, setting out measures including age assurance, default privacy settings, and restrictions on addictive features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and push notifications. The EU has already concluded investigations against Meta and TikTok over the addictive design of their platforms.
Kh.A / H.H
