EU to look at introducing age limits for social media
The European Commission will consider a range of measures to limit social media access to children and teenagers, says President Ursula von der Leyen.
Presenting her State of the Union address on Wednesday (10 September), von der Leyen said that social media has many benefits for connecting people, but that there are clear risks in giving children unfettered access.
“As a mother of seven and a grandmother of four, I feel the anxiety of parents who are doing their best to keep their children safe. These parents worry that when their children pick up a phone, they could be exposed to the wide-ranging dangers, simply with a scroll,” she said.
Some of the specific concerns raised by von der Leyen include:
- Online bullying.
- Adult content.
- Promoting self-harm.
- Algorithms that prey on children’s vulnerabilities with the explicit purpose of creating addictions.
“Too often, mums and dads feel powerless and helpless. That they are drowning against the tsunami of Big Tech flooding their family homes. I strongly believe that parents, not algorithms, should be raising our children. Their voice must be heard.
“Just as in my days, we as a society taught our children that they could not smoke, drink, or watch adult content until a certain age. I believe it is time we consider doing the same for social media.”
She pointed to Australia as a pioneer for social media restriction and noted that she was watching the implementation of this policy closely to see the next steps that can be taken in Europe.
“I will commission a panel of experts to advise me by the end of this year on the best approach for Europe. We will approach this carefully and listen to everyone,” she said.
“And in all of this work, we will be guided by the need to empower parents and build a safer Europe for our children. Because when it comes to our kids’ safety online, Europe believes in parents, not profits.”
