European Union gearing up to ban social media for kids under 16

A new initiative gaining traction in Brussels could position the European Union at the forefront of global efforts to limit children’s access to social media.

Backed by Greece and already supported by digital leaders France and Spain, the proposal calls for the EU to introduce new legislation significantly restricting minors’ use of social media amid growing concerns about the effects of excessive screen time.

The issue has gained international attention, especially after Australia announced plans to require a minimum age of 16 for creating accounts on major social media platforms later this year.

According to a document obtained by POLITICO, EU countries are urging Brussels to go further by establishing an EU-wide “age of digital adulthood.” Below this age, minors would need parental consent to access social media, effectively preventing them from automatically using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

EU digital ministers are scheduled to meet in early June to discuss the proposal. Denmark, which is set to assume the rotating presidency of the EU Council for six months, has already pledged to champion the cause.

“Protection of our children online will be a key priority for the upcoming Danish EU presidency,” said Denmark’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage Olsen. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also expressed support for a social media ban for children under the age of fifteen.

According to an EU official familiar with the process, the proposal was circulated to other member states last Thursday to gather support ahead of the Council meeting. The move signals growing frustration among European capitals over Brussels’ slow pace on the issue, prompting a united push to limit children’s screen exposure.

The document argues that protecting children from online risks and harms “requires collective action at the European level.”

The push builds on a year-long effort by French President Emmanuel Macron, who introduced the term “digital majority” in April 2024 to define the age at which children should be barred from engaging in certain online activities. “We must regain control of the lives of our children and teenagers, in Europe, and impose digital majority at age 15, not before,” Macron stated.

While the European Commission is already working on regulations such as the Digital Services Act, which sets rules for online platforms, this new proposal would go a step further. It would require age verification and parental control at the device level and introduce “European norms” aimed at curbing persuasive design features—such as pop-ups, autoplay, and personalisation—that increase app engagement and screen time.

The suggestion that age verification should be implemented at the device level is expected to face pushback from tech companies like Apple and Google. While platforms such as Meta are calling for solutions at the device or app store level, operating system and app store providers tend to favour device-level controls. This disagreement may delay meaningful industry action, say advocates of regulation.

France has already passed legislation in 2023 to restrict social media access for minors under 15, although full implementation is still pending. In recent months, Macron’s junior digital minister, Clara Chappaz, has lobbied for broader EU support for a bloc-wide initiative.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also championed the plan, although Greece favours a more nuanced approach. Instead of a total ban, they support focusing on age verification and requiring platforms to avoid addictive features and design services with young users in mind. As a result, much of the proposal remains general in scope.

The document was jointly signed by Clara Chappaz, Greece’s Digital Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, and Spain’s Digital Minister Óscar López Águeda.