EU social media ban for children under 13; supervised access proposed for those under 15

Representational image. File pic

The European Union has decided to ban social media for children under 13 and permit limited, supervised access until the age of 15 under plans unveiled Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Global kickbacks against social media has put pressure on policymakers, with a rise of evidence showing negative impacts on the physical and mental health of children.

Australia last year became the first country to place a ban social media for individuals under the age of 16, leading to a wave of similar moves elsewhere.

The 27-country bloc would take a "gradual" approach, von der Leyen confirmed during her annual keynote address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

"Each age has its own sensitivities. And therefore, each will have its own tailored protection level," she said.

"No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15," she said. "That means from 13 to under 15, only mini accounts, set up and supervised by parents or guardians, with limited features and time restriction to one hour a day."

"And between 15 and 18, safe design will be an obligation for the platforms."

Before she sketched out the EU's approach, von der Leyen paid tribute to a 14-year-old girl in Belgium, named Olea, who killed herself one month ago after being bullied, and whose mother she quoted as saying: "I am convinced that without these omnipresent networks, my daughter would still be here."

Von der Leyen made no mention to online games or AI chatbots, which as per to draft legislation seen by AFP would also be hit by the restrictions.

The European Commission president and tech chief Henna Virkkunen will formally present the proposed "KIDS Act", as well as the tiered age limits in Strasbourg, France on Thursday.

The EU will also ban addictive design features such as so-called infinite scrolling in instances children are concerned, according to a draft document.

If platforms break the rules, they will face fines of up to six percent of annual turnover, draft details show.

"Europe has the power to act. It is we who decide our rules, not big tech," von der Leyen stated.

"We do not have to accept addictive features," she warned, saying "platforms will have to prove that they are safe".

"It is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access minors," von der Leyen added.

The "risk" is not just restricted to children, she noted. "Addictive design, for example, is harming everyone," she said, telling EU lawmakers that Europe needed more rules that will be proposed in the autumn.

Pressure from EU states

Among those listening in the grand chamber was Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney whose country has also acted on reducing social media for under-16s.

Von der Leyen had faced pressure from member states including France, Denmark and Greece for action across the 27-nation bloc to reduce online harms for children.

The EU has sought for years to keep Big Tech in check, empowering itself with a strengthened legal armoury that it now believes is not sufficient.

The bloc has already informed Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram as well as TikTok to change their "addictive" design through its content law known as the Digital Services Act, but changes are taking longer than Brussels expects.

Digital and children's rights groups have raised concerns over how the new social media curbs will work in practice, as well as over a related age-check app the EU is preparing to roll out.

"Age verification is not a silver bullet and would raise serious privacy and data protection concerns," said European consumer organisation BEUC's Agustin Reyna.

Thursday's proposal can only become law after negotiations on a final text between EU capitals and the European Parliament, which could end up taking months.

(With inputs from AFP)