Children under 13 should only be allowed access to social media under the supervision of their caregivers or school, according to a report presented in Brussels on Monday by a panel of experts advising the EU on online child protection.
The recommendation came as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU’s executive body will table legislative proposals regarding children’s social media use after the summer.
What were the panel’s social media recommendations?
The panel, which included doctors, academics, youth representatives and parents, made several other recommendations in its report:
- Babies and children should be kept away from any screens
- Children aged three to 12 should only be allowed supervised use of ‘age-appropriate social media’ and devices
- Adolescents aged 13 to 18 should be allowed ‘developed autonomous use’ of social media and other digital platforms that have ‘key security features’.
Children ‘need time in the real world’ – von der Leyen
Speaking at the presentation of the report, von der Leyen, who set up the panel, called for “age-appropriate restrictions” to be implemented in a “phased and gradual” manner.
“Our children need time in the real world. Time to play, time to build friendships, time to make mistakes. Time to shape their own identity, their own personality, before an algorithm shapes them,” von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
“This is not about whether children can access social media. This is about whether social media can access our children,” he said.
Australia cited as model for social media age limits
Although several members of the bloc, including Germany, are considering implementing age limits for social media, action will need to be taken at the EU level to make these truly effective and legal.
This is because the bloc is in charge of enforcing rules on major online platforms and because any legislation at the national level must be compatible with EU law.
Von der Leyen has recently expressed concern about the impact of social media on children and pointed to Australia as a possible model.
In late 2025, Australia became the first country to impose age limits on social media access, although the effectiveness and benefits of this action are hotly debated.
Although social media giants are already legally obliged to take child-protection measures in the EU under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), experts say the rules need more comprehensive enforcement.
Last week, the European Commission found that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, breached DSA rules due to the addictive design of its platforms and resulted in harm to users, including minors.
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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