The European Commission may come up with a legislative proposal this summer to limit minors’ access to social media, President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday at a conference in Copenhagen. It is still unclear what minimum age would apply.
Lore Vanhaelewyn
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
Von der Leyen has asked a panel of experts to provide the Commission with advice on the protection of children online by the summer. “Without prejudging the conclusions of this panel, I think we should consider introducing a deferment scheme on social media. Depending on the results, we could introduce a draft law this summer,” von der Leyen said at a conference on AI and children.
According to von der Leyen, the discussion about a minimum age for social media “can no longer be ignored”. “Almost all EU Member States are calling for an evaluation of its necessity,” she pointed out. The Commission President pointed out that at least ten Member States already want to introduce a minimum age for social media at national level.
Age threshold discussion
Opinions vary across Member States on the age threshold that should be used. Last year, the European Parliament advocated a harmonized minimum age of 16 years, and 13 years with parental consent.
Australia has already introduced a minimum age of 16 years. According to von der Leyen, this has already led to fewer children and teenagers with social media accounts, but she also sees that some platforms are actively encouraging teenagers to circumvent these safety measures.
“If we are slow and hesitant, another generation of children will pay the price. So let us focus and set clear rules for setting up a social media deferral scheme in Europe,” the Commission President concluded.
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