European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU must consider a “delay” in allowing young people to access social media, with a legal proposal on the matter possible as early as this summer, as a number of EU states consider independent laws limiting children’s access to the technology.
Speaking in Denmark at an event on digital protections for children in the age of artificial intelligence, von der Leyen called for ways of keeping young people safe from the “addictive designs” of platforms such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok and X.
“Sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addictive behaviour, cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, suicide. Risks are multiplying fast,” she said.
Upcoming rules
She said the Commission is targeting such issues with the Digital Fairness Act, to be proposed toward the end of this year, as a panel of experts prepares advice.
