Europe weighs social media ban for minors under 16

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Bloomberg
Today 15:41

Europe is forming an expert panel to study online safety for minors, as global pressure mounts for stricter age checks on social media platforms.

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Children are seen holding cell phones in an undated image. (Getty Images via AFP)

The European Commission has announced it will explore potential restrictions on social media use for children under the age of 16, drawing inspiration from upcoming regulations in Australia, Bloomberg reported.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will establish an expert panel to propose new measures aimed at improving online safety for minors before the end of the year. The panel will also monitor the implementation and impact of Australia's policy.

“In my days, we as a society taught our children that they could not smoke, drink, or watch adult content until a certain age,” von der Leyen said during her annual State of the Union address on Wednesday. “I believe it’s time we consider doing the same for social media.”

Major platforms, including Google, Meta, TikTok, and X, did not immediately comment on the proposal, as per the report.

Rising pressure from EU member states

Von der Leyen’s remarks come amid growing calls from several EU capitals for stricter social media regulations. France, Spain, and Greece have already urged the European Commission to introduce mandatory age limits for access to social media platforms, according to Bloomberg.

The EU’s move reflects a broader global trend toward stricter age verification measures online. In July, the UK mandated adult websites to implement robust age checks for users over 18. The US Supreme Court has also cleared the way for similar state-level laws. Ireland introduced compulsory age verification for video-sharing platforms earlier this year.

Australia will also implement new restrictions, set to take effect on December 10, that will apply to platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. The Australian government says the goal is to protect minors from addictive features and harmful content.

The proposal has faced pushback from tech companies, who argue that effective age verification is difficult to enforce. However, a government-funded trial conducted earlier this year found no significant technological barriers to implementing such systems.