A top European Union official is calling for age restrictions on social media use for children, proposing a 'youth mode' to shield them from addictive features. The EU is considering new regulations to address concerns about the impact of social media on young users' well-being.
These proposed regulations signal a significant shift in how social media platforms will operate within the EU, potentially impacting their design, user engagement strategies, and revenue models, while prioritizing child safety and well-being.
The European Union is moving towards implementing stricter regulations for social media platforms, with a focus on protecting children. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for age restrictions and a 'youth mode' to shield young users from addictive features like infinite scrolling. A special panel recommended that social media access be forbidden for children under 13 until platforms can prove their services are safe by design, with further precautionary restrictions considered for older children. This initiative reflects a global trend of increasing scrutiny on the impact of social media on developing minds, with several countries already enacting bans for younger users. The EU's Digital Safety Act has also been used to warn companies like Meta about disabling addictive design elements or facing potential fines.