EU Prepares New Restrictions on Social Media to Protect Children — Reuters

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union is working on new regulations aimed at strengthening the protection of children and adolescents online. According to her, this involves restricting certain social media business models that may influence the behavior of underage users.

She made this statement during a speech in Copenhagen, Reuters reports.

The European Commission emphasizes that the new rules are intended to improve the safety of the digital environment for children and young people in EU countries.

Von der Leyen stated that the numerous negative consequences children and young people face from using social media are not accidental, “but are the result of business models that treat children’s attention as a commodity.”

According to her, the EU is focusing specifically on TikTok, X, and Meta Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

"We are taking action against TikTok and its addictive design, endless scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications. The same applies to Meta, as we believe that Instagram and Facebook do not adhere to the minimum age of 13 that they themselves have set," she said.

She also advocated for strict rules prohibiting access to social media for teenagers under a certain age.

"The question is not whether young people should have access to social media, but whether social media should have access to young people," von der Leyen added.

Greecewants to ban social media for children under 15.