EU wants new rules to restrict children’s social media usage

The European Union calls for a new set of rules to curb children’s use of social media amid growing concerns about the impact of spending too much time on these online platforms.

According to a policy paper that was obtained by Euractiv and Politico, Spain, Greece, and France are insisting on introducing an EU-wide age verification system and setting a minimum age for social media access.

They are deeply concerned about young children spending excessive amounts of time on social media, exposing themselves to online harms and risks.

“Poorly designed digital products and services can lead to heightened anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues as minors are constantly exposed to trivial or comparative contents, while excessive screen time can limit the development of critical skills, alter cognitive capacities, weaken human relationships, and diminish the ability to collaborate effectively,” the policy document reads.

To combat addictive designs and limit the screen time on social media, Spain, Greece, and France propose to introduce mandatory and built-in age verification solutions and parental control software to all devices with internet access in the EU.

Secondly, they wish to introduce a European ‘Digital Majority Age’ or minimum age for access to online social networks. France and Greece are both backing a social media ban for users under the age of 15. A spokesperson from the Spanish representation told Euractiv that Spain wants to leave the discussion open at an EU-level.

Lastly, they ask for European norms to mandate age-appropriate designs to minimize addiction.

The policy paper will be discussed with other EU ministers during the meeting on 5 June.

Europe hasn’t stood by idly when it comes to protecting youngsters from the potential harms of social media. The GDPR provides additional protection to minors when it comes to personal data protection. In addition, the Digital Services Act (DSA) demands that Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) are required to assess and mitigate systemic risks to the rights of minors and to their physical and mental health.

In 2023, France passed measures to block access to social media for children under 15, although these are yet to be fully implemented. In 2024, Australia passed a bill banning the use of social media under the age of 16.