Children under 13 could be barred from using social media across the European Union under plans announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Speaking during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen called for “no social networks under 13, no personal user account under 15”.
Under the proposed system, children and teenagers aged 13 and above would initially be allowed to use social media for no more than one hour a day through “mini-accounts” created and supervised by their parents. These accounts would have restricted functions, while personal user accounts would generally only be permitted from the age of 15.
The proposal does not yet constitute a binding EU-wide ban on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. However, the European Commission is preparing legislation that could establish common rules across the bloc. A legislative proposal setting out the details is due to be presented on Thursday, after which the European Parliament and EU member states will have to consider the measures. Reaching agreement could take months or years.
The European Commission is the institution responsible for introducing EU directives and regulations into the legislative process. Although individual member states can establish their own rules governing social media use, compulsory age verification by major platforms can only be imposed across the EU under the bloc’s digital legislation.
The Commission has justified the proposals by pointing to potential effects of intensive smartphone and social media use on children. Von der Leyen warned of sleep deprivation, anxiety and declining concentration, arguing that children need time to experience emotions, make their own decisions and become bored. “Children are being deprived of their childhood,” she said. “But if a child has a smartphone, all that is gone.”
Major platforms already generally set a minimum age of 13 in their terms and conditions, but the EU considers existing controls insufficient. Under the proposed rules, access for users aged 15 and above would also depend on platforms meeting child- and youth-friendly safety requirements. These could include eliminating algorithms considered capable of encouraging addictive use, as well as disabling features such as endless scrolling and automatically playing videos.
“We do not have to accept features that are addictive. We do not have to accept children being drawn into ever more extreme content,” von der Leyen said. She also raised concerns about photographs of girls being used to create AI-generated sexualised images. The Commission intends to require companies to make changes and place responsibility on platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe.
The proposals have received support from German officials. Federal Education Minister Karin Prien of the CDU supports a minimum age of 13 for personal social media accounts and has called for graduated protection measures for teenagers between 13 and 18. Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig of the SPD also welcomed the EU initiative, arguing that social media operators should face stronger child-protection obligations.
The plans have nevertheless drawn criticism. Bitkom chief executive Bernhard Rohleder warned against what he called a “digital muzzle” for children, arguing that media literacy develops through protected and supervised experience rather than exclusion. The German Children’s Fund also welcomed efforts to place greater responsibility on platforms but said children under 13 needed both protection and opportunities for digital participation. Its chief executive, Kai Hanke, said a purely analogue childhood was no longer an adequate model for society today.
The proposed EU rules now face negotiations between the European Parliament and member states, leaving the final form and timing of any restrictions yet to be determined.
