European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for age restrictions on children's use of social media, suggesting phased access for different age ranges due to concerns about the impact on developing minds.
Von der Leyen, who has a medical background, stated that children under three years old should not be exposed to screens at all. She compared social media access to other age-restricted activities, such as driving or purchasing alcohol, emphasizing the need to set legal access ages for digital platforms.
"I believe we need to consider phased and gradual access for different age ranges because childhood won’t wait and once it’s gone, we can never give it back," von der Leyen said. She highlighted "infinite scrolling" as one of the "addictive" features that tech companies must address.
Her remarks follow a report from a special EU panel focused on child safety online. The panel recommended forbidding access to social media for children under 13 unless tech companies can prove their platforms are safe by design. The report stated that "the burden of proof needs to be on providers, not regulators, parents and children."
"Until they demonstrate that their services are safe by design, social media and other digital services providers should have restricted access to children under the age of 13 in the EU," the report advised.
The European Commission has been increasingly scrutinizing tech companies. Last week, the commission warned Meta, Instagram's parent company, about its "addictive design features" like infinite scrolling, under the EU's Digital Services Act, threatening hefty fines if non-compliance continues. The commission is also developing an age verification app to allow users to prove their age anonymously.
Several countries, including Australia, the U.K., Turkey, and Indonesia, have already implemented bans or restrictions on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram for children under 15 or 16. Many platforms already have a minimum age requirement of 13, but these rules have been criticized as easily circumvented. Earlier this year, Instagram's parent company Meta Platforms was accused by EU digital regulators of failing to protect underage users on its site.
Von der Leyen indicated that children under 13 should have only "time-limited" access under the supervision of parents, teachers, or other caregivers. While she did not provide further specifics, her policy proposals are expected to lead to a formal proposal for the 27 EU member countries to consider in the near future.