Report to the European CommissionEU Special Committee Recommends Social Media Ban for Children Under 13

The Special Committee on Children’s Online Safety, established by President von der Leyen, has published its report. The Special Committee was tasked with developing recommendations for ensuring that children and adolescents use the internet safely. Not least, the discussions about possible social media bans in Germany and other EU countries were certainly a reason why uniform European rules are now to be developed. We provide an overview of what the report says and whether a social media ban in Europe has now become more likely.

EU Special Committee Recommends Social Media Ban for Children Under 13

There is currently no shortage of recommendations and assessments on the topic of child and youth media protection: Just at the end of June, the German expert commission published its recommendations for action. Shortly before that, the German Ethics Council had addressed the issue of social media bans and also issued recommendations. Last year, the Leopoldinapresented a paper, and various parties have outlined their positions in publications. In addition, different organizations and associations have published their positions in writing, including the Society for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK), the Professional Association for Media Addiction, and the German Medical Association.

Now, the special committee appointed by President von der Leyen has published its report . Based on this report, proposals will be developed after the summer break on how to amend legislation governing access to social media platforms in Europe. We have highlighted a few of the key demands here as examples:

  • Digital service providers should be held more accountable. They must implement more effective safety measures to make their platforms safer, especially for children and adolescents. Furthermore, the “burden of proof” regarding the age appropriateness of their services should lie with the providers themselves. They must provide transparent evidence that their services are not harmful to children and adolescents. At the same time, existing regulations governing researchers’ access to platform data should be more strictly enforced. This would enable independent research into whether these services pose risks to children and adolescents.
  • The digital literacy of minors, as well as that of parents, caregivers, teachers, and educational professionals, should be promoted through targeted programs. Fortunately, the report also states that Member States and local authorities must maintain and expand the range of sports, arts, and cultural facilities, youth clubs, libraries, and community spaces. The goal is for children and adolescents to find attractive alternatives to online offerings in their local communities.
  • The report also highlights the work of theSafer Internet Center, of which klicksafe is a part. According to the report, these and similar civil society organizations should be provided with sufficient financial resources by the EU and the member states so that they can continue to reliably carry out their work in the field of child and youth media protection.
  • The Digital Services Act (DSA) is regarded as the central legal basis for the protection of minors. The competent authorities should cooperate more closely in monitoring providers and enforcing the DSA, and expand their capacities.

What does the report say about a social media ban?

The European Commission’s special committee has concluded that social media services should not be accessible to children under the age of 13. However, access should be permitted when accompanied by parents or teachers and other professionals. Independent use, however, should remain prohibited for children under the age of 13. According to the report, reliable age verification is essential to enforce this age limit. The report emphasizes that a uniform minimum age across Europe is important not least for social media platform providers, as they would then face the same conditions throughout the European market. The mention that member states may also impose further access restrictions within their own countries seems somewhat contradictory. If this were implemented, no EU country would be able to lower the minimum age of 13, but it could certainly raise it.

Is a social media ban coming, and what will change if it does?

After the summer break, any proposed legislation will be addressed. However, the special committee’s report seems quite clear on the issue of a social media ban: Children under the age of 13 should no longer have independent access.

Most social media services already specify in their terms of service already stipulate a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service. The major problem is that this rule has so far been enforced very little, if at all. An EU law could force platforms to actually comply with this age limit. Australia is pursuing a similar approach with its so-called “social media ban” for everyone under 16. However, major problems have also become apparent in its implementation: So far, there are no signs that this law is actually keeping children and adolescents off social media platforms. That said, the law has only been in effect for about nine months, so its effectiveness cannot yet be conclusively assessed.

Effective and straightforward age verification is therefore crucial for enforcing an age restriction. Regardless of the current report, the EU has been working on this for quite some time. According to current plans, the first age verification apps compliant with EU standards are expected to be available by the end of 2026. This measure will affect all users of social media services. This means that in the future, not only children but also adults will have to use an age verification app to prove they are of legal age if they want to create or continue using a social media account.