The EU is weighing stricter rules to protect children online, from stronger age checks to possible restrictions on social media for minors under 13. But what would actually change, and why is the debate so controversial? EU Perspectives reporter Joana Soares, who specialises in digital policy, answers the key questions.
What restrictions do social media platforms currently face in the EU? How are they failing to protect minors?
Most social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, officially prohibit children under 13 from creating accounts. In practice, however, these safeguards are easy to bypass by simply entering a false date of birth.
The European Commission has already criticised Meta for failing to prevent under-13s from accessing both Instagram and Facebook.
Why are current parental control tools on social media considered ineffective by EU regulators?
Most platforms offer parental controls, allowing parents to limit screen time or restrict certain types of content. EU policymakers argue, however, that these tools have significant shortcomings.
Parents first need to know the tools exist and understand how to set them up. That creates inequalities between digitally savvy families and those with less technical knowledge. Also children can often access the settings themselves and disable or change the restrictions.
What new, stricter measures is the EU considering to make social media safer for the younger generation?
The European Special Panel on Child Safety Online is is proposing an approach to introducing children to social media. Its recommendations suggest that children under 13 should not use social media and also some gaming platforms and AI bot companions without adult supervision.
But so far there is no common EU position on what is the right age to start using social media.
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What is the main argument of those who oppose strict age verification and social media bans?
Some organisations argue that requiring all online users to verify this their age can create privacy and security risks. Also they believe that excluding children from social media and the online world also makes them more distant from educational content, and social participation through online communities.
How does the EU want to verify users’ ages without compromising their privacy?
The European Commission says its age verification app is already technically ready. It was launched in April and it is designed to communicate a yes or no question with the platforms about the user meeting a certain age limit. It doesn’t share any personal details.
However, this app was already hacked in under two minutes so it raises some security concerns.
