The European Commission is expected to announce a plan this September to ban minors from using social media within the European Union.
Multiple EU officials revealed to the “Europe Dynamics” website that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to announce related proposals during her annual State of the Union address at the European Parliament on September 16. EU member states have already been informed of the specific contents.
A research advisory group on online safety for minors is expected to submit its report on the 13th of this month, offering recommendations to the Commission.
It is still unclear at what age threshold the Commission will set the ban on social media use, or exactly how the plan will be implemented. Governments of EU countries have proposed various approaches to enforcing the social media ban, including a complete restriction for minors below a certain age from using social media platforms, or requiring parental consent for minors.
According to Commission officials, this plan will pave the way for the EU to pass legislation or take other measures to restrict minors’ use of social media.
In recent times, several EU member states have introduced or plan to introduce restrictions on minors’ use of social media. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested in April this year to ban minors under 15 from using social media. In June, the UK government announced a ban for those under 16, with related measures possibly coming into effect as early as spring 2027. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in February that legislation would be pushed to ban those under 16 from using social media platforms.