The circle of social media bans expands.. Europe joins the global movement
Europe is close to imposing new rules on children’s use of social media, in a move that may become the largest global attempt to regulate minors’ access to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. The move came after a report recommended preventing children under 13 from using these platforms independently, while allowing them to access them under the supervision of a parent or teacher.
The European debate goes beyond the issue of determining the appropriate age for creating accounts, to include the responsibility of technology companies to design safer platforms and limit features that encourage continued use. The movement is also linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health, well-being, quality education, and the protection of children’s rights, in light of escalating fears of…The impact of the digital environment on their psychological health and social development.
A team of experts presented its report to the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, including a set of recommendations related to the use of digital platforms by children and adolescents.
The report was prepared by a doctor specializing in child mental health, Professor Jörg Wiegert, and epidemiologist Dr. Maria Melchior. It recommended preventing children under 13 from using social media alone, while allowing access under the supervision of a parent or teacher.
It was also suggested that the use of the 13- to 18-year-old age group be limited to platforms that implement appropriate security features, such as limiting the infinite scrolling feature, which allows new content to be displayed non-stop as it continues.User browses the platform.
The recommendations extended to younger children, as the report called for children under three not to be exposed to any screen time. These recommendations represent the first step towards preparing a potential European law, the features of which Ms. von der Leyen is expected to announce during her State of the European Union address in September.
Who can reach children?
The President of the European Commission presented a different angle to the debate, when she explained that the issue is about when children are allowed to access the platforms, as well as when the platforms are allowed to access them.
This vision reflects a shift in the distribution of responsibility. In the past, the greatest burden fell on families to monitor children’s use of social mediaThe European Union now requires companies to be held more accountable for content, design and algorithms.
The platforms rely on features aimed at keeping the user connected for as long as possible, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, recurring notifications, and recommendation systems that offer new content based on the user’s interests and past behavior.
When children are exposed to these characteristics, their ability to regulate usage time becomes more difficult, especially at the age stages when self-control and decision-making skills are still developing.
Four to six hours a day
According to the figures presented by Ms. von der Leyen, children in Europe spend between four and six hours a day on social media, while nearly 60% of them are exposed toFor emotional, psychological and social problems online.
These issues include cyberbullying, stress resulting from social comparisons, exposure to harmful content, sleep disturbances, and anxiety related to constant interaction with notifications and comments.
These numbers illustrate why regulating the use of platforms is no longer just a family or educational issue, but has become a public health and social policy issue. The size of the European Union also doubles the importance of the step, as its population is about 450 million people, and those under the age of 18 represent approximately 18% of the population. If the Union passes a unified law, it will include millions of children and teenagers, and may push technology companies to change their policies on a scale beyond Europe.
The repercussions of excessive use of social media go beyond the psychological aspect, as it may affect…Academic achievement, sleep quality, and the ability to build balanced social relationships. Hence, the close connection between regulating children’s use of digital platforms and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) appears, especially the third goal related to good health and well-being, and the fourth goal related to quality education, in addition to the sixteenth goal, which supports the protection of children and building safe and inclusive environments.
Global action to reduce use
The European move comes within a growing global trend towards setting age limits for children’s use of social media, and Australia has become the first country to ban those under the age of 16 from using the platforms.
Since then, countries such as Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, India, Indonesia and Malaysia have begun implementing or studying similar rules.Proposals to limit minors’ access to digital applications.
In the United States, in 2024, the state of Florida passed a law prohibiting those under the age of 14 from using platforms without parental consent.
But the size of the European Union makes the expected move different, as any new rules need negotiations between the governments of the 27 member states. Not all governments may agree on the appropriate age, method of implementation, or size of penalties imposed on companies.
How can restrictions be applied?
Verifying the ages of users represents one of the most prominent challenges facing any new ban or regulation. Platforms need to know a user’s age before allowing them to open an account, but requesting identity documents or personal data may raise privacy concerns.
Some teenagers can also enter incorrect dates of birth or use accounts created by others, which was demonstrated in the Australian experience, where critics saw that a number of teenagers were able to bypass the restrictions.
This means that the success of the law will depend on the ban, the development of reliable age verification tools, the protection of user data, and the platforms’ cooperation with governments, families, and educational institutions.
The rules must also avoid turning the protection of children into a justification for collecting more sensitive data, because building a safe digital environment requires achieving a balance between security and privacy.
Europe targets addictive design
Brussels regulators did not wait for a new law to be issued to start pressuring companies. The European authorities have requested MetaBy changing what it described as “addictive design” on Facebook and Instagram, while warning of imposing large fines in the event of non-response.
TikTok faces similar demands as part of a separate investigation, indicating that Europe is targeting the structure of the platforms themselves, and not just children’s accounts.
This includes the way content is arranged, the frequency of notifications, the ease of transitioning between clips, and the user’s ability to turn off recommendation systems. These measures aim to reduce the dependence of the companies’ business model on capturing children’s attention for as long as possible.
Hence, regulating social media could lead to broader change in the technology industry, if companies are forced to design safer versions for different age groups rather than providing the same experience to all users.
Protection is not limited to bans
Despite the risks associated with excessive use, platforms give children and adolescents opportunities to learn, communicate, express, and find support. Therefore, completely banning use may deprive some of them of real benefits, especially those who rely on digital communities to communicate or seek help.
The challenge is to build rules that allow safe and age-graded use, instead of simply prohibiting or leaving children in front of platforms that were designed primarily for adults. This requires promoting digital education in schools, training families to deal with risks, providing clear reporting and protection tools, in addition to requiring companies to remove harmful content and develop child-friendly features.
In conclusion, The Earth Guards Foundation confirms that regulating children’s use of social mediaIt represents part of building a sustainable digital environment that protects mental health, supports education, and guarantees the rights of children within cyberspace.
The Foundation stresses that the responsibility for protection does not lie with the family alone, as it must be shared by governments, technology companies, schools, and community institutions. Legislation should also combine age restrictions, privacy protection, digital awareness, and oblige companies to implement the security principle from the platform design stage.
The success of the European action will remain linked to its ability to reduce actual damage, and not just the number of accounts that are closed. A sustainable relationship between children and technology requires platforms that respect their ages and needs, and give them opportunities to learn and communicate without turning their attention and data into tools for making profits.
