Mini-accounts and screen time: this is how the EU wants to limit children's social media use
No total ban, but very strict restrictions for everyone under 15 years old. That is the core of the European Commission's legislative proposal to curb the use of social media by young people and children.
A year ago, this plan was already announced, but today Commission President Von der Leyen stated that, as far as she is concerned, the social media ban for children will come. The legislative proposal, called the "EU Child Act," is a pet project of Von der Leyen. In her 'State of the European Union,' she said it is "Europe's turn to take action."
An age limit has been in the air for some time. Countries like Spain and the Netherlands are in favor of an EU ban on social media for minors. Today's plans largely align with what a panel of experts proposed before the summer. In July, this panel, appointed by the European Commission, already advised banning independent use of social media for children under 13 years old.
The details of the plan will be announced tomorrow, but the idea of the proposal is to gradually give young people more access to social media. The European Commission wants to do this by setting what is and is not allowed per age group. "Each age group has its own sensitivities and therefore receives a level of protection tailored to that," Von der Leyen said about this.
Time limit and restrictions
For example, children under 13 years old are not allowed to open an account themselves, so they cannot use social media. Young people between 13 and 15 years old can use what the European Commission calls a 'mini-account,' which is created and managed by the parents.
This type of account has a time limit of one hour per day, Von der Leyen said today, and its functionalities are also limited. Which functions young people in that age category would not be able to use has not yet been announced. However, this will relate to restrictions meant to prevent children from spending hours on the platforms. Von der Leyen said today that "children are increasingly being overwhelmed with content designed to keep them constantly scrolling."
Above 15, young people, according to the European Commission, may decide for themselves what they do on social media. The law does impose requirements on the design of online platforms. For example, the design of the platforms must be mandatorily safe for users in the 15 to 18 age category.
The law will not only apply to social media such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, but also to video platforms, AI chatbots, and games. Exactly which ones are concerned has not yet been announced. Online educational platforms presumably do not fall under the new rules.
Age verification
It is uncertain how the European Commission intends to enforce the imposed rules on social media platforms. For example, Australia already has a ban on social media for children up to 16 years old, but children can circumvent it. They can also switch to platforms where no mandatory age scan applies.
Therefore, there are doubts about the effectiveness of age scans. Experts are divided on whether the technology developed by the European Commission for this will work. There are also concerns about its privacy sensitivity.
Support
In addition, there are Members of the European Parliament who fear that social media companies will be treated too leniently because they only have to make adjustments for children now. According to them, it is urgently necessary to also require changes in the addictive design for everyone over 15 years old.
About this, Von der Leyen said today that "we do not have to accept addictive elements." She also stated that Europe is not led by the big technology companies. "Europe has the power. We make the rules, not Big Tech."
Tomorrow, the European Commission will present the legislative proposal. After that, the European Parliament and the governments of the EU countries will review it. They can still make adjustments or block the proposal. Then they will negotiate together on a final version.