In Brussels, the European Commission announced on Monday that it will table a legislative proposal after the summer to harmonise restrictions on children’s access to social media across the 27-member bloc. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen endorsed the core recommendation of an expert panel she convened: a tiered system that would bar screen use for children under three, permit only supervised and time-limited access for those under 13, and allow gradual autonomous use for teenagers aged 13 to 18, provided platforms first demonstrate their services are safe by design. The proposal, expected in September, would mark the most extensive cross-border effort to date to shield minors from what von der Leyen described as the harms of ‘predatory algorithms’.

The expert report, co-chaired by child psychiatrist Jörg Fegert and epidemiologist Maria Melchior, cites data showing European youth spend four to six hours daily on screens, with nearly 60 per cent of young children reporting emotional or psychosocial problems linked to online experiences. It recommends that the burden of proof be reversed: social media companies would have to prove their platforms do not cause harm before gaining access to the under-18 market. The panel also calls for harmonised EU-wide age verification, potentially using the forthcoming EU Digital Identity Wallet, and for restrictions to extend beyond traditional social networks to AI assistants and other digital services with addictive features.

National governments within the EU have already moved at different speeds, creating a patchwork that Brussels says threatens the single market. France has legislated for a minimum age of 15, Spain is pushing for 16, and Germany’s family minister is preparing a bill, while Estonia opposes blanket bans. In the European Parliament, some lawmakers argue the proposed 13-year threshold is too low, with Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose advocating for 15. Outside the bloc, Australia’s under-16 ban, in force since December, has been widely circumvented, with 85 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds still using social media three months later, according to one study. The United Kingdom is planning its own under-16 restrictions, and the United States, China and India are also considering or have imposed limits. The EU’s approach, however, is distinct in its emphasis on making platforms legally accountable for safety before they can serve minors.

The Commission’s legislative push is reinforced by ongoing enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA). On Friday, Brussels ordered Meta to alter what it called ‘addictive’ design features on Facebook and Instagram, including infinite scroll and autoplay, or face fines of up to six per cent of global annual revenue. A similar preliminary finding was issued against TikTok in February. Meta has disputed the findings, pointing to its Teen Accounts and parental controls, but the Commission maintains that existing mitigation measures are easily bypassed. The expert report’s recommendations will now be examined by the Commission, with a formal proposal to follow the summer break. Any new law would require approval from both the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, a process that is likely to reignite debate over the appropriate age threshold and the balance between protection and digital rights.