Ursula von der Leyen pledges EU-wide social media ban for children
Summary
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced plans for a Europe-wide ban on social media use by children under 13. This follows expert advice aiming to protect children from harmful online content and addictive features on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others.Key Facts
- Ursula von der Leyen supports an EU-wide social media ban for children younger than 13 years.
- Experts recommend staged internet use restrictions by age group to protect children’s safety online.
- Some EU countries, including France, Spain, and Greece, have announced higher age limits for social media use (15 or 16 years).
- Estonia opposes blanket bans, preferring to regulate platform behavior instead.
- Australia already bans social media use for minors under 16.
- The EU has opened investigations against Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and TikTok for addictive app designs like infinite scrolling and personalized algorithms.
- Experts say children aged 10 to 13 are especially vulnerable to social media harm, particularly affecting body image in girls.
- Recommendations suggest digital services should be safe and age-appropriate, with evolving autonomy after age 13 as the brain develops.
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