EU Proposes Under-13 Social Media Ban, Curbs for Teens

The European Commission has proposed barring children under 13 from social media across the European Union and placing restrictions on older teenagers, in what would be the bloc's first Europe-wide age limit for such platforms.

The plan was presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said the measure responds to public concern about online harm. She cited polling figures showing that 92 per cent of Europeans want stronger protection for children and young people online, while around 70 per cent worry about cyberbullying, harassment and grooming. She also noted that young Europeans spend an average of four to six hours a day on screens.

Under the proposal, children aged 13 to 15 would be given "mini accounts" supervised by a guardian, with limits on features and on the amount of time they can be used. For those aged 15 to 18, platforms would be required to provide a "safe design".

Von der Leyen argued that age limits should not absolve technology companies of responsibility for what appears on their platforms. She said the burden of proof would be reversed, requiring platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe, and that for every user under 18 the principle of safety by design must apply — with no toxic or addictive features.

She described children as engaging with highly sophisticated technology that was not built with their wellbeing in mind, and said platforms and algorithms are designed to capture attention and keep users scrolling. She pointed to evidence of harm to developing brains and personalities, and to effects parents observe, including sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addictive behaviour and suicide.

The proposal must still be debated and voted on by the EU's 27 member states, a process that could take years and may stir tensions with US President Donald Trump, who has criticised Europe's tech regulations.

Major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok already set a minimum age of 13, but authorities have accused the companies of failing to enforce it.

Some experts said the Commission was not addressing a more fundamental problem: a business model built on keeping users hooked on addictive content while showing them advertising.

The move is part of a wider global effort to protect young people online. Individual European countries including Spain and Portugal have taken their own steps, mirroring actions elsewhere such as Australia and New Zealand. Some efforts have faced obstacles: France's top court last month struck down a law banning under-15s from social media, saying it infringed fundamental freedoms, and President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rework it. In the United States, Meta Platforms last month agreed to pay up to $18 billion and adopt stronger child-safety measures for Facebook and Instagram to resolve a trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims brought by nearly every state.