European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will review recommendations from a Special Panel on Child Safety Online and present a proposal “after the summer”, as she argued for tighter rules to protect children on social media.
Von der Leyen said on Monday that she commissioned the panel “a few months ago” and that it has now delivered its report examining the benefits, opportunities and harms of social media algorithms on children.
She cited figures that young people across Europe spend “four to six hours per day” on screens, and that “almost 60% of young children have experienced emotional or psychosocial problems online.”
Von der Leyen listed harms including loss of sleep, depression, anxiety, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content, adding that children are affected while their brains are still developing.
Digital Services Act and age checks
The Commission President said platforms should be responsible for proving their services “do no harm”, and pointed to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — the bloc’s rulebook for online platforms that includes obligations to tackle illegal and harmful content — as the basis for requiring providers to remove harmful features such as “addictive algorithms”, “dark patterns”, harmful content or unwanted contacts.
Von der Leyen pointed out that the EU has already taken action against TikTok over what she called “addictive design”, and “just last week” against Meta.
She also pointed to an “age verification app” as one tool for age-appropriate restrictions, describing it as easy to use, privacy-preserving and open source.
Von der Leyen said there is a growing case for a “social media start date” — a legal age at which children can access social media — while acknowledging that enforcement would not be foolproof and that cultural change would take time.
She added that the highest risks are mainly linked to social media platforms but also other services with “age-inappropriate and addictive features”, describing the category as “social media plus”, and suggested “phased and gradual access for different age ranges.”
