Key facts
- The European Commission is considering restricting social media access for children under 13.
- Ursula von der Leyen pledged to curb social media access to protect children.
- An expert group recommended a "safe by design" approach alongside age restrictions.
- The expert group's report was 156 pages long and acknowledged the complexity of the issue.
- Australia's ban for under-16s can be easily circumvented due to weak age verification.
- The "safe by design" approach would shift responsibility to platforms to ensure product safety.
- Concerns exist about the potential inclusion of video games and AI chatbots under "social media plus" restrictions.
- Balancing child safety with privacy, encryption, and surveillance is a major challenge for Brussels.
The European Union is moving closer to implementing restrictions on social media access for children under 13, a move championed by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Her pledge follows a recommendation from an EU-appointed expert group, which warned of significant mental harm, addiction, and misery for a generation exposed to unrestricted big tech access.
The expert group, comprising doctors, academics, youth representatives, and parents, has put forward a "safe by design" approach. This strategy would shift the onus onto social media platforms to prove their products are safe by default, with age verification only required for access to potentially harmful features. This aims to address privacy concerns associated with robust age verification technologies.
However, the proposed measures are not without contention. Experts acknowledge that a blanket ban on social media is not the sole solution, citing the ease with which similar bans in Australia have been circumvented due to weak age verification. Furthermore, the scope of potential restrictions, termed "social media plus," could extend to platforms like video games and AI chatbots, raising questions about where such limitations would end and whether mandatory age verification is a constructive prerequisite for accessing online spaces.
Finding a balance between protecting children and safeguarding overall privacy, encryption, and preventing surveillance will be Brussels' greatest challenge. The practicalities of age verification, should restrictions be implemented, are expected to be a significant point of discussion in the coming months.