EU Chief Proposes Social Media Ban for Children Under 13

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed barring children under 13 from using social media, online games and chatbots, unveiling the plan during her annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

In her speech, von der Leyen pushed back against the view that the dominance of large technology companies cannot be checked. "I am aware that many perceive the power of Big Tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree," she said.

She framed the proposal around concerns about how online platforms affect young users, pointing to addictive product features, the pull of increasingly extreme content, and the misuse of girls' photographs in AI-generated sexualized imagery. "We do not have to accept addictive features. We do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content. We do not have to accept that girls have their photos used for AI-generated sexualized images," she said.

Under the plan, teenagers aged 13 to 15 would not be shut out entirely. They would instead receive "mini accounts" that operate under the supervision of a guardian.

The proposal now goes to the European Union's 27 member states for a vote. Its path could prove contentious, given long-standing criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump of Europe's approach to regulating technology companies.