EU Eyes Gradual Social Media Access for Children, Expert Panel Recommends

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday that the EU is considering a phased and gradual approach to children's access to social media, with a legal proposal expected in the latter half of the year. This initiative follows recommendations from an expert panel tasked with advising on evidence-based decisions, which suggested that children under 13 should only use online platforms under supervision. The panel also recommended no screen time for babies and toddlers, and supervised use of age-appropriate digital devices and social media for children aged three to 12. For adolescents aged 13 to 18, the advice was for evolving autonomous use of platforms with key safety features. Von der Leyen emphasized that the focus is not on whether children can access social media, but rather when and how social media can access children, calling for "age-appropriate restrictions." The EU aims to introduce protective measures to ensure the safety of children and adolescents in the digital world, with platforms being held responsible for the safety of their services. This move comes amid increasing pressure on social media companies, with recent warnings issued to TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram regarding their "addictive" features. The EU is seeking to harmonize approaches across its 27 member states, acknowledging difficulties faced by other countries, such as Australia, in enforcing blanket bans. Instead, the focus will be on compelling platforms to remove or limit features like autoplay content and infinite scroll, and a new law is anticipated to provide stronger protection against addictive design.