European Commission delays national social media restriction plans for children by a year — Dawn

The European Commission has postponed for 12 months the consideration of new national bills in EU countries that overlap with upcoming pan-European rules on children’s access to social media. In particular, it blocked Austria’s draft, which envisaged banning social media use for children under the age of 14.

Uniform rules for the EU

As Dawn reports, EU member states must notify the European Commission of legislative initiatives so that they do not conflict with the bloc’s rules. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said that the institution had decided to defer for a year all draft national laws that duplicate the forthcoming harmonized rules.

The European Commission believes that separate decisions by member states could divide the EU because of differing age limits for access to platforms. Brussels also fears that countries will not rush to agree on a common law if they already have their own rules.

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Proposal for minors

Last month, the European Commission proposed banning social media for children under 13 and allowing only limited access under supervision for those under 15. Regnier noted that it is now necessary to focus on negotiations on the EU Kids Act and the effective enforcement of the rules. The Commission hopes that EU states and the European Parliament will reach an agreement in the coming months.

At the same time, exceptions are possible. France notified Brussels of its draft law before the pan-European initiative emerged, so it is expected not to be blocked, although the European Commission demanded that the document be revised. Greece has already adopted its own rules, developed long before September. The EU has not yet made a decision on initiatives by Italy and Slovakia.