Europe to impose social media limits on teens

The European Union is moving toward sweeping new restrictions on how minors interact with social media, with potential rules that could include age limits, outright bans, and phased access for teenagers. Under the proposed framework, platforms would also be required to prove their services are not harmful before young people are allowed to use them.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the bloc’s executive arm could introduce new legislation within months, following a review of expert recommendations released today. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about when social media can access our children,” von der Leyen said.

The expert panel recommended a tiered approach: no screens at all for children under 3, supervised internet use for those under 13, and some limits for older teens. Crucially, the panel also said social media platforms should bear the burden of proving their services are safe for younger users, a principle von der Leyen said she supports.

Von der Leyen stated that the Commission will study the report and return with proposals “after the summer.” Any legislation would still require approval from the European Parliament and all 27 EU member countries before becoming law across the bloc. A formal proposal would add significant weight to global efforts to curb children’s social media use, joining a growing list of initiatives or active regulations in countries such as the UK and Australia.

New rules would also intensify pressure on platforms to demonstrate their services are safe for minors. A preliminary EU investigation already found Meta to be in breach of its Digital Services Act last week, citing the “addictive” design of Facebook and Instagram. TikTok received a similar finding earlier this year.