EU Pushes Tougher Social Media Rules as 91% Back Child Protection

Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region: EU Plan Faces Debate Over Child Social Media Access and Safety Rules

European governments and citizens are facing renewed pressure to strengthen protections for children online, as a new European Union proposal seeks tougher safeguards around social media use. The proposal is now under close scrutiny today.

The proposed KIDS Act would introduce stricter age-related rules, including a possible social media ban for children younger than 13, while placing additional controls on teenagers aged 13 to 15. The changes would affect millions of young users.

The initiative comes as concern grows over children’s exposure to harmful online material, unwanted contacts, cyberbullying and addictive platform features, including systems designed to keep users scrolling for longer periods. The issue has become a major policy concern.

According to the latest Eurobarometer survey on EU challenges and priorities, 91% of European Union citizens believe additional measures are needed to regulate children’s use of social media platforms. The figures underline the scale of public concern.

The survey found that a ban on social media access below a specified age received the strongest support among the measures tested, with 36% of respondents backing the proposal. The measure remains subject to further debate.

Support varied considerably between member states. Greece recorded the highest backing for an age-based social media ban, with 49% of respondents supporting the measure in the survey. The figures show substantial differences between European countries.

Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal, Ireland and Slovakia followed closely, each recording 44% support for the proposal. The figures indicate substantial public concern about children’s exposure to online risks. The results point to widespread concern across Europe.

By contrast, support was lower in several central European countries. Austria recorded 27%, Germany 28% and the Czech Republic 29%, representing the weakest levels of backing in the survey. The debate is likely to continue among policymakers.

Child rights organisations have broadly welcomed stronger protections, while also warning that blanket restrictions could create unintended consequences if teenagers lose access to mainstream platforms without receiving safer alternatives. Both sides are seeking clearer responsibilities and safeguards.

Jeanne-Marie Quashie, EU advocacy officer at Terre des Hommes Netherlands, said the organisation supports 13 as a minimum age but does not regard the proposal as creating an entirely new ban. The comments add to the growing European debate.

Quashie noted that major social media platforms already commonly use 13 as an age threshold for account access, meaning the proposed legislation would reinforce or formalise an existing industry practice. The distinction is important for the proposed rules.

She also pointed to Article 8 of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which already establishes rules concerning children’s consent and online services involving personal data. The existing framework already provides a relevant legal reference.

Under the proposed framework, teenagers aged 13 and 14 would not independently establish social media accounts. Instead, a parent would be required to initiate and confirm access on their behalf. The change would increase parental involvement considerably.

Accounts could then be connected to a parent’s profile or administrative dashboard, giving parents tools to manage children’s online activity and establish limits on how much time they spend using platforms. Parents would therefore have a more direct role.

One proposed safeguard would limit social media use for younger teenagers to a maximum of one hour each day, placing significant responsibility on families to monitor and manage access. The arrangement could create practical challenges for families.

That arrangement has prompted concerns among child rights advocates, who argue that safety protections should be incorporated directly into platform design rather than depending primarily on parental authorisation. Advocates say safety should remain built into services.

Quashie argued that the EU proposal is moving in the right direction by focusing on platform design, but warned that parental sign-up requirements could shift responsibility away from technology companies. The concern centres on who should carry responsibility.

She said children aged 13 to 15 should receive safety protections automatically, rather than having access to safer online environments depend on whether parents complete additional registration requirements. The proposed safeguards would apply during early teenage years.

The Eurobarometer findings illustrate why policymakers are under pressure to act. Around seven in ten respondents expressed concern about several major risks associated with children’s social media use. The findings underline the urgency felt by policymakers.

Cyberbullying was the most widely cited concern, with 71% of respondents saying they were very or somewhat worried about children encountering harassment or bullying through online platforms. The figure reflects widespread concern about online harassment.

Online grooming was another major concern, with 70% of respondents expressing worry. The figure highlights continued anxiety about children interacting with adults or other users who may attempt to exploit them. The concern also extends beyond interactions between children.

Exposure to harmful content also concerned 69% of respondents, reflecting fears surrounding material that children may encounter through recommendation systems, private messages, public posts or other forms of online interaction. The issue remains central to the regulatory discussion.

Addictive platform design attracted somewhat less concern, with 60% of respondents describing themselves as very or somewhat worried. Only 28% said they were very concerned about the issue. The national differences show that attitudes vary considerably.

However, national differences were again striking. In Cyprus, 89% of respondents expressed concern about addictive design, while Luxembourg recorded 87%, placing both countries substantially above the European Union average. The findings add to pressure for platform changes.

The findings come amid a broader European debate over how technology companies should design services used by children, particularly when algorithms, notifications and endless scrolling can encourage prolonged engagement. The discussion extends beyond age limits alone.

Child rights groups have therefore called for measures that address the underlying design of digital services rather than relying exclusively on restrictions that could push vulnerable teenagers toward less visible communities. Advocates want protections that work without isolation.

The KIDS Act debate is expected to continue around questions of age verification, parental responsibility, platform accountability and children’s access to digital spaces, with policymakers balancing protection against participation. Several questions remain unresolved before implementation.

For European families, the proposed rules could eventually mean greater parental involvement in younger teenagers’ social media accounts, alongside stricter controls intended to reduce harmful content and excessive screen time. Families could see significant changes if the rules advance.

As the European Union considers its next steps, the central question will be how to create safer digital environments without leaving children dependent on parental controls or driving them toward platforms operating beyond effective oversight. The final approach remains undecided.

 

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members