Von der Leyen looking into EU social media ban for minors

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that she is considering how children in the EU could be restricted from use of social media.

Von der Leyen, who was delivering her annual State of the Union speech in front of the European Parliament, said that the Commission is considering Australia's actions in this field.

In Australia, teenagers under the age of 16 cannot use social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

“I am watching the implementation of their policy closely to see what next steps we can take here in Europe. I will commission a panel of experts to advise me by the end of this year on the best approach for Europe,” von der Leyen said.

“We will approach this carefully and listen to everyone. And in all this work we will be guided by the need to empower parents and build a safer Europe for our children,” she added.

Social media bans for minors are currently arranged at national level. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram require users to be at least 13 years of age.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in June that France will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 within "a few months" if this is not done at a European level. His remarks came after a school staff member was stabbed by a 14-year-old student in Nogent.

Some EU countries including the Netherlands have advised parents not to allow children aged under 15 to use social media platforms, citing psychological and physical problems.

In June, the Commission published guidelines on the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to protect children from online risks such as grooming, harmful content, problematic and addictive behaviour, as well as cyberbullying and harmful commercial practices.

The guidelines will apply to all online platforms accessible to minors.

The Commission announced at the same time that it will work with five EU countries – Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain – on a customised national age verification application.