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Ulviyya Poladova

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The European Commission is reportedly preparing to unveil plans for potential EU-wide restrictions or even a possible ban on social media use for children, AzerNEWS reports, citing Euractiv.

The initiative is expected to be presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her annual State of the European Union address on September 16 in Strasbourg. However, an unnamed Commission representative noted that the legal framework for such measures has not yet been determined.

According to the information, the proposed measures could include preventing children below a certain minimum age from creating social media accounts or introducing stricter age verification mechanisms across digital platforms. However, neither the exact age threshold nor the final design of the restrictions has been disclosed.

Officials emphasized that discussions are still ongoing, and no final legislative proposal has been formally adopted.

Momentum has accelerated as EU governments pursue their own restrictions on children’s access to social media. France, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Greece have all pressed ahead with national measures.

Restrictions or policy discussions regarding children’s use of social media are already in place or under consideration in more than 20 countries worldwide. Australia was the first country to introduce formal rules restricting access to social media for minors, setting a precedent for similar regulatory debates in other regions.

Image: Jana Rodenbusch / Reuters