European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today presented the report prepared by a special expert panel on children's online safety at a press conference. The report recommends introducing a harmonized social media age limit across the European Union for children under 13.
Speaking alongside the panel's co-chairs, von der Leyen said, "The two co-chairs are proposing a harmonized social media age limit across the EU for children under 13. The recommended approach is a phased model. According to this, the youngest children should have no screen time at all."
Phased age limit model
According to the expert panel's recommendations, children from birth to age 3 should not be exposed to screens at all. Children aged 3-12 may only be online under the supervision of a parent, caregiver or teacher and for limited periods. Access to social media for young people aged 13-18 can be gradually increased, provided that platforms prove they are 'safe by design'.
Von der Leyen said, "Only when this condition is met should young people over 13 be able to access social media."
"Social media is not a toy"
The European Commission President stressed that big tech companies offering children unlimited access condemns new generations to psychological harm, addiction and unhappiness. "Young people in Europe now spend 4 to 6 hours a day in front of screens. That equates to about 20 years of their lives," von der Leyen said, adding that around 60 percent of children encounter emotional or psychosocial problems online.
Von der Leyen said, "We cannot expect children to thrive in a system designed without considering their well-being. First and foremost, it is the platforms that built these systems, and they must now prove that their services do no harm. In Europe, whoever develops a product is also responsible for its safety."
Legislative proposal to come after the summer
Highlighting the EU's 'safe by design' principle, von der Leyen underlined platforms' obligations, especially towards children. "The issue is not whether children can access social media, but when and under what conditions social media can access children," von der Leyen said, adding that research reinforces the need to set a starting age.
Von der Leyen announced that they will carefully examine the report's recommendations and present a legislative proposal after the summer. "We will assess the different proposals from member states, integrate them into our work, and, as the EU often does, put forward a common and harmonized solution," she said.
Joint call from experts
Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Fegert, one of the expert panel's co-chairs, noted that as child and adolescent psychiatrists they recognize that risks are not the same for every child, but they prepared their recommendations based on common principles. "Introducing a common age limit across the EU for children under 13 is one of our key recommendations," Fegert said.
The other co-chair, Dr. Maria Melchior, said, "Our findings are very clear: Children and young people must be safe on all social media platforms and other digital services they use." Melchior stressed that all children, regardless of their circumstances, have the right to grow up in a safe digital environment.
