European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will announce plans to impose an EU-wide ban on the use of social networks for children.
According to Euractiv sources, von der Leyen will talk about this initiative in his annual speech on September 16.
The publication’s source in the European Commission confirmed that the legal basis for such a ban has not yet been developed.
Euractiv also wrote that at the moment it is not clear what minimum age will be set for minors to access social networks, as well as how compliance with the ban will be monitored. At the EU level, various monitoring mechanisms have been proposed – from parental consent to the use of age verification technologies.
The publication’s interlocutors noted that the European Commission is trying to move faster by adopting common rules for the entire EU, before the legislation of EU member states diverges too far from each other on the issue.
Australia was the first country in the world in 2024 to introduce in its legislation a ban on the use of social networks for children under 16 years of age. You can read more about it here. The United Kingdom plans to adopt similar restrictions.
EU countries, including France and Spain, also plan to impose a ban on children’s access to social networks.