European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Limiting social media use of children under 13 to adult supervision He announced that they would prepare a European Union-wide regulation. The gradual model suggested by experts prevents young children from entering the platforms independently, while relaxing the access conditions as they get older. The commission is expected to prepare its concrete proposal after the summer period and von der Leyen’s details in September 2026 He is expected to share it in his State of the Union address.
Von der Leyen says that the debate about whether children face risks in the online environment is over and that a method that will give children a safer start should now be determined. The Commission President likens the age limits to the protective rules applied for driver’s licenses and alcoholic products. The prepared framework may also put the onus on companies to prove that platforms provide a child-friendly and safe service. Member states will retain the right to apply national rules stricter than the common European standard.
The new study does not mean a ban has yet taken effect. The European Commission will first prepare the legal proposal, then the European Parliament and member states will discuss the regulation. Therefore, we should not expect users to lose access to their accounts anytime soon. However, if the Commission presents the proposal in the autumn, it will significantly increase the pressure on technology companies regarding age verification and child accounts.
European Parliament backs a higher age limit
The European Parliament has previously criticized social media, video sharing platforms and artificial intelligence dating services. A common digital access limit at age 16 he suggested. The Parliament advocates that users between the ages of 13 and 15 with parental permission should access these services, and that children under the age of 13 should not access social media at all. This approach does not constitute a binding law, but it gives a strong indication of what attitude the Parliament will take in the regulation to be prepared by the Commission.
The Commission’s existing Digital Services Act also includes some protections for children. The law requires platforms to ensure high levels of privacy and security for minor users and prohibits them from showing personalized ads to children. The commission also continues to examine design elements that keep the user on the screen, such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, notifications and personalized recommendations. Major platforms such as Meta and TikTok are under the supervision of the EU due to their obligations regarding children’s safety.
Age verification will also affect user privacy
The most critical part of the new system is age verification. The European Commission is working on a technical infrastructure that will allow users to prove that they exceed a certain age limit without sharing their identities or dates of birth directly with the platforms. Commission, in April 2026 released the technical blueprint for its online age verification solution. Thus, platforms will only be able to check whether the user meets the required age requirement without learning his or her full identity.
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