A panel of experts has officially recommended that access to social media platforms be restricted for children under the age of 13 across the European Union. According to the report presented in Brussels on Monday, children in this age group should only be permitted to use such platforms under the supervision of their parents, carers, or within a school environment.
This expert group, which includes a diverse mix of doctors, academics, youth representatives, and parents, was commissioned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Following the presentation of these findings, von der Leyen announced that the EU’s executive body intends to introduce legislative proposals concerning children's use of social media in the months following the summer. She emphasized that any implemented restrictions must be carried out in a "phased and gradual" manner.
Highlighting the need for the policy, von der Leyen stated that children require time in the real world to play, build friendships, make mistakes, and shape their own identities before algorithms begin to influence their development. She clarified that the objective is not to debate whether children should have access to social media, but rather to determine whether and when these platforms are permitted to access children.
While several individual member states, such as Germany, have explored the implementation of age limits, experts note that such measures are most effective and legally sound when enacted at the EU level. This is due to the bloc's authority over major online platforms and the requirement that national laws remain compatible with broader EU legislation. Von der Leyen has specifically pointed to Australia as a potential model; the country became the first to introduce a social media age limit at the end of 2025, though the efficacy of this policy remains a subject of debate.
Although the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) already mandates that social media companies implement child-protection measures, experts argue that these rules require more comprehensive enforcement. The European Commission recently determined that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had breached DSA regulations due to the addictive design of its platforms and the resulting harm caused to users, including minors.
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