PREVIEW

Von der Leyen Suggests Possible EU-Wide Social Media Restrictions for Minors. The European Commission President has signalled that the bloc could unveil new restrictions on children’s access to social media as early as this summer, citing child protection reasons. Speaking on artificial intelligence and online safety, Von der Leyen argued that major platforms are built around business models that monetize children’s attention through addictive features. The European Commission is particularly concerned about endless scrolling, autoplay systems, algorithmic recommendation engines and weak age-verification measures. Officials say these practices expose minors to harmful or manipulative content while encouraging compulsive usage patterns. Rather than focusing solely on whether children should be allowed onto social media, Von der Leyen wonders if social media companies should be allowed unrestricted access to children. Central to the EU’s strategy is a new age-verification application being developed under the bloc’s Digital Services Act framework, which would allow users to confirm their age anonymously. The initiative is part of a broader European trend, with countries such as France, the UK and Spain already discussing or drafting national laws that would impose minimum-age requirements. No final legislation has yet been proposed, but an expert panel is expected to deliver conclusions this summer, paving the way for the most ambitious harmonisation attempt by the EU on this matter.
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