EU to limit children's access to social media—gradually

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Children should have "phased and gradual access" to social media, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday, as experts recommended that children under 13 use online platforms only under supervision.

July 13, 2026

by Raziye Akkoc

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Pressure intensified on the EU executive to establish a bloc-wide ban like Australia last year.

Children should have "phased and gradual access" to social media, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday, as experts recommended that children under 13 use online platforms only under supervision.

The European Union has been mulling a social media ban since a push by EU states, including Greece and France, to limit access, with pressure intensifying for a blocwide ban like Australia's.

To help the EU make decisions based on evidence, von der Leyen tasked an expert panel of doctors, academics, youth representatives and parents to give their advice. They delivered their recommendations Monday.

"What we already have is a consensus that there needs to be a start date for the age at which children can join social media," von der Leyen said, calling for "age-appropriate restrictions."

"This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children."

A legal proposal will come in the second half of the year, von der Leyen added, but she is expected to give an indication of what the restrictions will look like in September.

"We need to consider a phased and gradual access for different age ranges," she said, adding that children should be allowed access to "safe" platforms only from age 13 onward.

The report by co-chairs, child psychiatrist Jorg Fegert and epidemiologist Maria Melchior, offered a glimpse of what the EU's proposal might look like.

They recommended no screens at all for babies and toddlers, and supervised use of "age-appropriate social media" and devices for children ages 3–12 by parents or teachers.

For those ages 13–18, they advised "evolving autonomous use" of social media and other digital platforms that have "key safety features."

Many social media and video-sharing platforms, including TikTok and Meta's Facebook and Instagram, are available only to children 13 and older.

Platforms "must prove that their services do no harm. In Europe, whoever develops a product is responsible for its safety," von der Leyen said.

"We are convinced that Europe must introduce protective measures to ensure the safety of children and adolescents in the digital world," Melchior said, standing next to von der Leyen.

The EU has already ramped up pressure on social media platforms to change in recent months, telling Facebook and Instagram on Friday to dismantle their "addictive" features after a similar warning to TikTok in February.

The report did not recommend a blanket ban on digital platforms, including social media, and von der Leyen did not back such a move.

The panel found that the Australian ban faced difficulties as children found ways around the limits, forcing the EU to reconsider its approach.

Instead, it wants platforms to remove or limit features like autoplay content, infinite scroll and push notifications.

The European Parliament in October called for a ban on social media for children under 16, a position some EU lawmakers continued to back—although divisions remain over the age.

"I still believe the age should be 15, not 13. 13 is already the minimum age used by most major social media platforms today," EU lawmaker Christel Schaldemose said in a statement after the panel's report.

There likely will be difficult negotiations because any EU proposal will become law only after talks between the parliament and member states.

A dilemma for the EU is how to avoid different age limits across 27 countries. For example, Spain wants to ban under-16s from accessing social networks, while France proposes prohibiting children 15 and younger.

Then there are EU nations such as Estonia that oppose a ban.

Von der Leyen said the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, would "have a very careful look" at the national proposals.

Brussels will prepare its own proposal to "harmonize the approach and to find a common solution," she added.

The EU already has a bolstered armory to rein in Big Tech and protect users online, and the commission has said more rules are on the way.

EU consumer protection chief Michael McGrath vowed that a new law, expected later this year, will give children stronger protection against addictive design.

"Digital markets are designed to capture attention and influence behavior. The new rules will help ensure consumers can make informed choices free from manipulation," McGrath told AFP.

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