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2mo ago

EU Experts Recommend Ban for Under-13s and Graduated Social Media Access to 18

Brussels will decide on new rules for minors' access to social media before the autumn State of the Union.

Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP [Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP]
((g-d) Le Dr Jorg M. Fegert, directeur du département de psychiatrie, psychosomatique et d psychothérapie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent au CHU d'Ulm, la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen et Maria Melchior, directrice de recherche à l'Inserm, lors de la remise du rapport d'experts sur la sécurité des enfants en ligne, le 13 juillet 2026 à Bruxelles
Bruxelles réfléchit depuis l'an dernier à l'opportunité de mettre en place une "majorité numérique" à l'échelle de toute l'UE
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Overview

  • A committee led by Maria Melchior and Jörg Fegert delivered recommendations on July 13 that propose an EU-wide ban on social networks for under-13s and staged, supervised access up to age 18.
  • The report says platforms should prove they are safe 'by design' and must put effective age verification systems in place before offering general access to 13–18-year-olds.
  • European Parliament committees on July 14 pressed for a default 'youth mode' that would disable targeted ads and attention-capturing features for young users.
  • Early national measures, notably Australia’s December 2025 ban for under-16s, show reduced youth access but also highlight practical enforcement problems with ID checks, payment data and AI age estimates.
  • The Commission has already ordered Meta to change addictive features and warned of fines for noncompliance, and a decision this autumn could either harmonize rules across the EU or allow member states to set stricter limits.