The European Commission has unveiled sweeping legislation outlining a total social media ban for children under 13 and restricted access for teenagers until the age of 15.
The proposed EU Kids Act is the result of much pressure on policymakers to act on growing evidence of the effects that social media and screen addiction have on children’s mental health.
“It is time for Europe to act,” said commission president Ursula von der Leyen during her annual keynote address to the European Parliament when the act was formally unveiled. “It is we who decide our rules, not Big Tech.”
Under the proposals, children under 13 are banned from accessing all forms of social media. This also includes online video games, video-sharing platforms and AI companions. They can, however, use video-sharing platforms designed strictly for young children (such as YouTube Kids).
For 13-14-year-olds, restricted versions of these services are allowed, but they must include ‘safety-by-design’ features. This means that...