The European Union is preparing to introduce common age limits to protect children from online harms associated with social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the planned regulation would provide children with different levels of protection according to their age groups.
Speaking at the European Parliament on Wednesday, von der Leyen said the European Commission would present its proposal for a new regulation, called the “Children’s Act,” on Thursday.
Under the plan, children under 13 would not be allowed to use social media. Children under 15 would also be barred from opening personal accounts.
For those aged 13 to 15, the plan envisions only limited mini accounts created and supervised by their parents or guardians. Some features would be restricted on these accounts, and daily use would be limited to one hour.
For the 15-to-18 age group, social media platforms would be required to implement safety-by-design measures. Von der Leyen said the regulation was being prepared amid concerns about problems including sleep loss, anxiety, bullying and self-harm.
The Commission president said they wanted to place greater responsibility on technology platforms. Saying that platforms should have to prove they are safe, von der Leyen said the regulation would cover not only children’s access to social media but also the conditions under which platforms can reach children.
Von der Leyen also said digital designs that can foster addiction affect adults as well. She announced that the European Commission planned to present a more comprehensive “Digital Fairness Act” proposal in the autumn.
