By Benson Daniel
The European Commission has proposed banning children under 13 from accessing social media platforms across the European Union, as part of a broader plan aimed at strengthening protections for minors online.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal during her State of the Union address, warning about the risks children face from online services, including addictive features and exposure to harmful content.
Under the proposed framework, children aged 13 and 14 would not have unrestricted access to personal social-media accounts. Instead, they could use parent-supervised “mini accounts” with restrictions on available features and the amount of time they can spend on the platforms. Teenagers aged 15 to 17 would be covered by additional requirements designed to make online services safer for young users.
The proposal would affect major social-media and online-service companies, including platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. The Commission is also seeking stronger protections for children using online video games and AI chatbots.
The initiative comes amid growing concern across Europe about children’s exposure to harmful online material and the design of digital platforms. The Commission’s expert panel on child safety online previously examined the possibility of a common EU-wide age limit and stronger responsibilities for technology companies.
Age verification is expected to play an important role in enforcing the proposed restrictions. The EU has already been developing a common approach to age-verification technology, with the Commission emphasising that such systems should be accurate, reliable, robust and proportionate.
The Commission has also been using existing digital rules to pressure platforms over child safety. In July, it issued preliminary findings that TikTok’s treatment of minors’ accounts did not meet certain safety requirements under the Digital Services Act.
The proposed restrictions are not yet EU law. They would still need to go through the bloc’s legislative process, including consideration by the European Parliament and EU member states before becoming binding.
The initiative could also have significant implications for technology companies, which would need to develop stronger age-assurance systems and modify how their services operate for different age groups across the EU
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