EU unveils sweeping social media ban for children under 13
The European Union announced comprehensive restrictions on children's social media access on Wednesday, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiling plans to ban platforms entirely for users under 13 and require strict parental controls until age 15.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, von der Leyen outlined a graduated system of protections tailored to different age groups. Children between 13 and 15 would only be permitted supervised accounts with limited features and a maximum one-hour daily time limit, while teenagers aged 15 to 18 would benefit from mandatory safe design features on platforms.
Global momentum for children's online safety
The announcement follows growing international momentum to address children's online safety. Australia enforced the world's first under-16 social media ban on December 10, 2025, with platforms facing penalties up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for non-compliance. Since implementation, approximately 4.7 million accounts have been deactivated in Australia, though enforcement challenges persist.
Within the EU, France has already taken independent action, becoming the first member state to ban social media for children under 15 in July 2026. Other countries have announced similar plans, including Greece, which will implement restrictions starting January 2027, and Denmark, which proposed a ban for under-15s in November 2025 with parental consent provisions for ages 13-14. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced intentions in February 2026 to limit access for under-16s.
Tribute to bullying victim
Von der Leyen paid tribute to Olea, a 14-year-old Belgian girl who took her own life one month ago after experiencing bullying. Quoting the girl's mother, the Commission President said:
I am convinced that without these omnipresent networks, my daughter would still be here.
The KIDS Act and enforcement measures
The proposed legislation, formally titled the KIDS Act, will be presented by von der Leyen and Tech Chief Henna Virkkunen on Thursday. Draft documents indicate the restrictions will target addictive design features such as infinite scrolling, which the EU considers harmful across all age groups.
Platforms violating the new rules would face substantial financial penalties of up to six percent of their annual global turnover. The EU has already preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act in July 2026 for addictive design features including infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications on Facebook and Instagram.
Europe has the power to act. It is we who decide our rules, not big tech. We do not have to accept addictive features. Platforms will have to prove that they are safe.
She emphasized a shift in perspective:
It is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors.
International efforts and scientific evidence
Among those present in the chamber was Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose government introduced the Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) in June 2026. The Canadian legislation would ban social media for users under 16 unless platforms demonstrate they meet safety standards. The United Kingdom has also announced similar restrictions expected to take effect in 2027.
The European Commission cited mounting scientific evidence of social media's harmful effects on young people. A 2025 study tracking 479 adolescents over 100 days found that 60 percent experienced negative effects from social media use, with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram identified as particularly problematic platforms.
Von der Leyen faced pressure from multiple EU member states to implement bloc-wide protections. She noted that concerns extend beyond children, stating that addictive design, for example, is harming everyone, and promised additional regulatory proposals in the autumn.
Privacy concerns and next steps
Digital rights organizations have raised questions about implementation, particularly regarding age verification systems and associated privacy concerns.
Age verification is not a silver bullet and would raise serious privacy and data protection concerns
said Agustin Reyna of the European consumer organization BEUC.
The proposed KIDS Act must now undergo negotiations between EU member states and the European Parliament before becoming law, a process expected to take several months.
