Brussels Targets Teen Social Media Use with New Age Restrictions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen framed the policy as a necessary intervention against rising rates of anxiety and self-harm linked to digital platforms. Under the proposed framework, children aged 13 to 15 would be restricted to supervised accounts. These profiles cap daily usage at one hour and grant parents exclusive authority to approve contacts and manage account settings.

Beyond simple age gating, the regulation compels companies to strip away addictive design features and personalized advertising for all users under 18. Brussels claims this approach improves upon blanket bans seen elsewhere by forcing firms to re-engineer their back-end safety systems. Critics, however, remain skeptical about the practical enforcement of these rules against global tech giants, despite von der Leyen’s insistence that platforms must now actively demonstrate their safety protocols rather than awaiting regulatory intervention.