The European Union will move to limit young children’s access to social media across the 27-member bloc, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, in what would be the biggest such effort to date to guard against online dangers.Von der Leyen presented a paper from two experts recommending a tiered approach, with under-13s only allowed to use social media for limited periods under the supervision of parents, carers and teachers. The curbs would be lifted gradually as teenagers got older.“It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms,” von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.“The question is no longer if children face risks online, but what can we do to give children a safer start online,” she said.(From left) Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Ulm University Medical Centre Dr Jorg M Fegert, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research Maria Melchior at a press conference in Brussels on Monday. Photo: AFPVon der Leyen indicated that she was likely to follow the experts’ suggestions and that the Commission would present a concrete proposal after the summer. She is expected to announce it at her State of the Union address in September.
EU eyes social media curbs for children
Australia, Britain, China, India and the United States have already imposed a social media ban or are considering one.










