The European Commission president said an EU age-verification app is technically complete and that bloc-level rules on minimum social-media ages are next. France, Spain, and several others are already moving alone.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday set out the EU’s plan to extend protections for children online, telling MEPs the bloc’s age-verification app is technically ready for citizen use and that a Commission-led approach to minimum social-media ages is in development.
The intervention follows a wave of national legislation by EU member states moving ahead of any bloc-wide rule. France approved a bill in January 2026 to ban under-15s from social-media platforms, citing a public-health emergency.
Spain has tabled plans for an under-16 ban; Austria, Denmark, and Slovenia are drafting rules at ages 14, 15, and 15, respectively. Italy and Ireland are exploring restrictions at the under-15 and under-16.
The Commission’s preferred approach has not yet been finalised. The European Parliament has called for a uniform 16-year minimum, but von der Leyen said the Commission first wants to consult experts on the appropriate threshold.
