President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a European Commission proposal that would generally bar children under 13 from social-media accounts and prevent under-15s from independently creating accounts on covered social-networking and video-sharing services. “No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15,” von der Leyen said as she outlined the plan. The model is graduated: 13- and 14-year-olds could use limited accounts supervised by a guardian, while users aged 15 and older could open accounts independently. A guardian-created, supervised account could provide an exception for under-13s seeking access to age-appropriate video-sharing services.
The Commission adopted the proposal on 17 September 2026, following recommendations from its Ad Hoc Panel of Experts on Online Child Safety. The panel’s co-chairs presented their work in July. Its six principles include an age-based approach, responsibility for digital services, consumer rights, media education and children’s participation. The proposal is not yet EU law: it must be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. A public consultation is open until 3 December 2026, inviting children, parents and educators to contribute.
The proposed rules would cover social networks and video-sharing platforms with features such as livestreaming to unknown audiences and contact with strangers, as well as profile-based recommendations and endless feeds. Alongside age limits, the Commission would require platforms to avoid addictive design, make blocking and muting straightforward, set the safest defaults for minors and prevent spending traps. Profiles would be private by default, with restrictions on potentially harmful recommendation and contact functions. The proposal addresses both who can access covered services and how those services are designed.
Age assurance is basic to the plan, but the Commission’s proposed structure is designed to limit the personal information disclosed to platforms. Based on the EU age-verification blueprint, it would establish whether a user is above or below a relevant age threshold without passing on a full identity or date of birth, tracking users or profiling them. The approach aims to balance enforcement with privacy concerns, while placing obligations on services rather than relying solely on parental supervision.
Brussels is not alone in considering stricter controls. Australia’s nationwide minimum age of 16 has become a prominent international reference point in the debate over whether age-based rules can be enforced effectively online. The EU proposal takes a different, graduated approach, setting separate rules for under-13s, 13- and 14-year-olds, and users aged 15 and above.
Concerns about excessive screen time and young people’s mental health are basic to the debate, but online risks are not limited to children. German extremism researcher Isabel Lang notes that research often focuses on youth radicalization, while older adults are also susceptible and have played roles in extremist movements, including the Reichsbürger group dismantled in 2022. That distinction matters for policymakers weighing age-based access rules alongside broader responsibilities for platform design and online safety.
Critics of mandatory age checks have raised privacy and security concerns, warning that compliance burdens could weigh heavily on smaller organizations. The Commission’s threshold-based verification model is intended to limit the data platforms receive, while its design requirements would place responsibility on the services themselves. Separately, the Commission has examined Meta’s social media and social media under the Digital Services Act, including concerns involving minors, age assurance and potentially addictive design. Features reportedly under scrutiny include infinite scrolling and autoplay, alongside push notifications and personalized recommendations. The proceedings have been described as preliminary, not as a final infringement decision or confirmed fine.
In Spain, ministers are debating the issue on X, where the platform’s AI assistant Grok has been cited in discussion of the scale of pornographic image generation. The debate reflects wider concerns about platform governance and technology companies’ responsibilities as European institutions consider common rules for children’s online access.
The EU proposal comes amid a broader international reassessment of digital platforms and their effects on society. Its focus on minors reflects concerns about links between social-media use and anxiety, depression and other mental-health challenges among young people. Responsibility, whether it lies with parents, technology companies or regulators, remains contested. Digital safety for children is now a central topic in European policy, echoing high-stakes decisions in other sectors, such as when football clubs introduce new leadership. Athletic Club, for example, appointed a new coach for a historic match against Derio (see more on recent leadership changes in Spanish sports).
The coming months will bring further scrutiny as Parliament and the Council consider the proposal’s provisions, with the consultation open through 3 December. The final rules and timetable could change during that process. The debate will help determine how young Europeans access social media and how families, platforms and public authorities share responsibility for online safety.
