European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for an EU-wide social media restriction targeting children under 13 following recommendations from an expert panel focused on child safety. The proposed measures aim to prevent access by platforms to children rather than simply restricting children’s access to platforms, with von der Leyen emphasizing the need for age-appropriate safeguards and referencing concerns about addictive algorithmic design.
An expert panel co-chaired by German psychiatrist Jörg Fegert and French epidemiologist Maria Melchior recommended banning what it termed “social media plus” for children under 13, a category encompassing platforms with engagement-focused features including video games and AI chatbots. The panel suggested a staged approach based on age groups and proposed that member states could implement even stricter precautionary restrictions. Von der Leyen indicated a draft law would be presented in the autumn but declined to commit to a specific minimum age threshold.
At least 10 EU member states have already announced plans for social media bans or restrictions. France has committed to banning access for under-15s, Spain is pursuing restrictions for under-16s, and Greece will enforce curbs for under-15s starting January 1, 2027. Estonia represents a notable exception, arguing that regulatory focus on platform design would be more effective than age-based bans. Australia has emerged as the first country globally to implement such a ban, restricting minors from accessing major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Snapchat and TikTok.
The European Commission has initiated preliminary investigations against Meta and TikTok regarding what it characterizes as addictive design features, including infinite scroll, autoplay video, push notifications and highly personalized algorithmic content delivery. Both companies have contested the commission’s preliminary findings, with investigations continuing. The expert panel based its recommendations partly on research indicating significant harms from social media use during ages 10 to 13, particularly affecting girls’ body image perceptions, with vulnerabilities to addictive features increasing earlier in childhood development.
The panel also issued broader guidance on digital use, recommending no screen time for children under three except for limited activities like video calls, and time-limited supervised internet use for ages three to 12. Implementation of the EU draft law would require approval from a weighted majority of member states and the European Parliament.