GoKawiilThe European Union is proposing to ban under 13 year olds from using social media apps, with a plan for “phased and gradual access” for teenagers.
While most social media apps claim to have a minimum age of 13, this is extremely poorly enforced. The EU proposal would give this the force of law, as well as applying restrictions for older teens …
We’ve observed on several occasions that there is a clear causal link between social media usage and declining teenage mental health. A growing number of countries around the world have either passed legislation or announced plans to limit access to social media apps by children and teenagers.
Countries like Australia and the UK are imposing a minimum age of 16. The EU doesn’t want to go quite that far, but the Financial Times reports that it does want to ensure that there are protections in place for those aged 13 to 16.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday […] she was considering a “harmonised EU-wide delay to social media” for under-13s, unless under parental or caregiver supervision. There would then be gradual access as of 13 years old, “depending on the proof given by the platforms that they are age-appropriate and safe for teenagers” […] “This is not about whether children can access social media”, von der Leyen said. “It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”
The EU has already warned Meta that infinite scrolling in Instagram and Facebook feeds may be illegal under EU law. The creator of infinite scrolling, Aza Raskin, said back in 2019 that he regretted his invention.
If the EU proposal passes into law, it will add to the existing list of countries passing or planning age limits for social media apps: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, UAE, UK, and Vietnam.
There is also growing pressure for a similar ban in the US, with a 9to5Mac reader survey back in 2024 showing overwhelming support for this.
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