Key facts
- The EU plans to ban social media for children under 13.
- Children aged 13-15 will have supervised "mini accounts" with time limits.
- The European Commission will publish its social media plan on Thursday.
- Ursula von der Leyen stated that social media apps "deprive children of their childhood".
- The Digital Fairness Act will address features like addictive design.
The European Union is moving forward with plans to ban social media access for children under 13, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In her annual state of the union address on Wednesday, von der Leyen stated that social media platforms "deprive children of their childhood" and that big tech companies must demonstrate the safety of their products. A draft law proposing a complete ban for under-13s is expected, while a supervised "mini account" system with time restrictions will be available for 13-to-15-year-olds. The commission is set to release its comprehensive social media plan on Thursday, which will then require approval from the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states to become law. Von der Leyen also announced that the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, slated for submission to the European Parliament later this year, will target features such as addictive design, which she believes are "harming everyone". The address in Strasbourg also touched on broader geopolitical and legislative issues, including a European heatwave plan, an emergency response mechanism for migrant inflows, and an invitation for Canada to become an "associate member" of the EU, alongside proposals for a European security council involving Canada, Norway, Ukraine, and the UK.