EU panel urges social media bans for children under 13
A panel of EU experts has recommended restricting social media access to children under 13 across the bloc, saying it should only be allowed under parental supervision or in educational settings.
The report, put together by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was presented in Brussels on Monday.
Many EU countries, including Spain, Greece, Germany and Austria, are planning to legally ban minors from accessing social media up to a certain age.
However, attempts to impose age restrictions on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are likely to require action at EU level; because the European Commission is responsible for enforcing rules on major online platforms within the bloc and national laws must comply with EU legislation.
Von der Leyen recently expressed concern about the impact of social media on children and appointed a panel of experts to advise the commission on protecting young people online.
He pointed to Australia, which became the first country to ban children under 16 from accessing social media by the end of 2025, as a possible model.
The European Commission is expected to present legislative proposals in late 2026.
